Crossing Fate
by Pegistar5
Summary: Eight friends find themselves forming teams in a new world filled with Dust and Grimm… and becoming the heroes that they always wanted to be. Armed with the knowledge of another chance, they set out to make the most of their new life. However, there's an enemy in the past that doesn't exactly want them to "move on"...
1. Prologue: TKSM

**A/N: Before we begin, I want to affirm that ALL TRAILER NAMES ARE INDEED COLORS! Also, please check out my other stories, review, etc. etc. etc. Yeah not a whole lot of opening remarks. There's a whole bunch of closing remarks tho, so that's that.**

 ***I AM TAKING WEAPON NAME SUGGESTIONS!***

 **Without further ado, Crossing Fate!**

* * *

 **T** yrian trailer

A figure in a dark purple hoodie stood alone in a clearing. Medium long green hair peeked out of the shadows of the hood, which was worn over a high-collared red jacket. Dark green jeans hung over green sneakers, the left leg rolled up. On their lower left arm was a rectangular black contraption and on their back were brown straps with a slit to hold a sword. Black string hung a red jewel around their neck.

" _Commander!"_ A voice chimed. " _We've cleaned up the area here, but some Beowolves escaped and are heading your way!"_

"Roger that, Momo," the figure replied. She tightened her grip on her blade, a polished katana with a trigger on the handle. Guns still made her a bit apprehensive, but in this world, it was a survival tool.

Besides, she didn't care when she was using it against the Grimm.

As if the thought had summoned them, four Beowolves leaped out of the trees, fangs poised to strike. The figure smirked as she disappeared, leaving their claws to swipe through thin air.

"I've got four Beowolves in my sight. Are they the last ones?"

" _Yup! Once we get those, we'll have cleared out the area!"_

"Right then. I'm engaging now." The figure clicked the link off and readied her sword. "Mission start," she whispered as her blade cut cleanly through the first Beowolf.

 **{Play Kido's Theme: Mekakushi Code}**

The remaining Beowolves howled as she leaped back, throwing off her hood and revealing green hair in a ponytail and blood-red eyes. She dodged a Beowolf's swipe and parried with her own, backflipping away from harm. The other two Beowolves charged at her. She angled her sword backwards so that the end of the grip was facing the Beowolves and fired. The recoil fired her backwards as she flipped in midair. A Beowolf brought down its claw, but she hacked it off of it and fired, propelling her forward to impale the Beowolf.

 _Two down, two left,_ she thought, eyes analyzing the battle. She clicked the hidden button with her thumb and watched as the gears shifted, the blade splitting into three and locking into place. The nozzle of the built-in gun poked out the tip of the center blade. In her hand now was a short sai, the two blades that were branching off only slightly shorter than the main blade. The three fighters ran forward, meeting in the center of the clearing with a clash of claws and sword.

" _Kido!"_ Her earpiece activated automatically, the voice on the other end frantic. " _I spotted a Nevermore flying your way! The others are coming to your location but we're not sure if we'll be able to get there before the Nevermore!"_

" _Heads up; the Nevermore will be reaching you in approximately five minutes!"_

"Roger that, Seto, Kano," she grunted as she slipped under one of the Beowolves and stabbed it. "Five minutes should be plenty of time for me to finish," she added, gun firing within the Beowolf's guts for good measure. "Over and out." She aimed her left arm at the remaining Beowolf, a grappling hook knife firing out and burying itself within the tree behind the Beowolf.

"Come and get me!" she taunted, switching her sai back into a katana. Her eyes burned even brighter as she activated the hook, the katana cleaving through the Beowolf. It didn't even have a chance to see her.

Standing up, Kido fixed her eyes to the sky, the red in her eyes fading to dark gray. "Now, when's the final boss going to come?" she muttered to herself.

"Commander!" She turned to see Momo waving at her as she approached, Hibiya and Hiyori in tow. "Looks like we've made it after all."

"Shintaro is all set up to snipe," Hiyori piped up. "Our job is to stop the Nevermore's flight so he can end it."

"In one shot? He's probably going to be using some Dust if he's doing that…"

"It was Ayano's idea."

"Ah. That makes sense." Ayano, for whatever reason, loved making Grimm go boom.

The caw of a Grimm drew their gazes upward to a large black bird. The Nevermore was here.

Kido squinted at the black bird. "Looks like it's not all that old. That's good. Nevermore can be troublesome."

"Well then, let's take this thing down!" Momo cheered, cracking her chain mace. Hibiya and Hiyori readied their own weapons, a long dagger with archaic runes and a jagged ring blade with two handles, respectively. The four of them raced toward the Nevermore, leaping on rock, rubble, and tree branches to gain speed.

"Hibiya, what do you see?" Kido asked through her earpiece.

" _There's a large tree up ahead,"_ he replied, eyes burning red from his own "Semblance". " _We can use that to ascend."_

"I've got an idea. Kisaragi, I'll need you to captivate the Nevermore's attention. Once you do, I'll use my power to sneak up behind the Nevermore and attack. Hibiya, Hiyori, assist Kisaragi."

" _Roger that!"_ was the joint reply. Kido raised her grappling hook and fired, swinging from tree to tree to get to her objective faster. Meanwhile, Momo's eyes burned bright red as she switched her mace into a spiky gun staff.

"Over here, you big birdie!" she cried as she fired again and again at the Nevermore. It screeched and dove at her, but Hibiya and Hiyori were ready for it. Hibiya's dagger crackled as the runes on the blade glowed bright yellow.

"Eat Dust!" he growled as he swiped the blade. A burst of lightning shot forward and struck the Grimm, which cawed loudly and attempted to fly away.

Hiyori wasn't about to just let it go without her own attack. She flung her ring blade forward, a sawblade of death hurtling at the Grimm. It sliced through and rebounded back to her, the Nevermore screeching loudly in pain as it rose into the sky. Hiyori mecha-shifted her weapon into a javelin staff while Hibiya raised the crossbow on his left arm. The three peppered the Nevermore with Dust rounds, keeping its attention on the three of them.

Elsewhere, Kido ascended the large tree, using both her grappling hook and her sai to gain altitude. "This should do," she said to herself as she balanced on a tree branch. Looking out, she could see the Nevermore flying closer and closer towards her, its attention fixated on the rounds of bullets being fired at it. Kido activated her "Semblance", the Concealing Eyes burning red. Switching her weapon back to katana-mode, she ran down the length of the branch and leaped into the air. She fired her grappling hook at the Nevermore, allowing herself to smile when she jolted in mid-air toward the Grimm. The Nevermore cawed loudly as it affixed its gaze on her, but the cover fire from the others and Momo's "Semblance" prevented it from completely turning its attention to her. As she hurtled toward the Grimm, she raised her katana and fired its gun to increase her speed, the resulting recoil rendering her grappling hook moot. She yanked out the hook knife while she accelerated, placing both hands on her katana. With a fierce cry, she pierced through the Nevermore's wing, and with some added recoil, severed straight through. She tumbled into a roll when she hit the ground, a thunderous boom shaking the air behind her. Her eyes turned to see a brilliant explosion painting the sky behind her. She panted as she smiled, her eyes fading back to their original dark gray. _Mission accomplished,_ she thought with satisfaction as she slung her blade over her back.

 **{End Mekakushi Code}**

* * *

 **K** iwi trailer

A dark haired young man wearing a green jumpsuit walked alongside the borders of their camp, the sleeves on his arms and legs rolled up to show the white cuffs. On his head were gold-tinted goggles with black straps and parts of his bangs were pinned up with a yellow hairclip. Around his waist was a green belt and in his hand was a metal toolbox with green accents. It was currently dark, the only light coming from his blazing red eyes and the red jewel centerpiece hanging from his neck. He raised a hand to the device on his ear and switched it to autopilot, the link crackling as he did so.

"Ahem… testing, testing… can you guys hear me?"

" _Loud and clear, Seto!"_

"' _Course I can if I'm talking to you right now!"_

Seto smiled as the voices of Haruka and Takane echoed in his ear. "Let's do a great job tonight too, okay?"

" _Sure thing!"_

" _Tch! You don't have to tell your senior that! I know!"_

Seto cut off the link and continued with his patrolling. He, Haruka, and Takane were currently taking night shift, making sure that no Grimm were going to attack the others while they were sleeping. As for why his eyes were burning a bright red instead of their normal gold…

 _Grimm might not have any minds or souls, but they still have thoughts, impulses, and instincts that I can steal,_ he thought with grim satisfaction. _I might not like using my power, but I have to admit that it's very effective for things like this._

 _Search… Kill… Search… Kill…_

Seto tensed as he heard the undeniable thoughts of a Grimm. From the sound of its thoughts he could tell that it was stronger than a simple Beowolf, though he didn't know if that was because there were multiple Grimm or just one. He was putting his bets on just one stronger Grimm.

 **{Play Seto's Theme: Shounen Brave}**

He pressed a switch on his toolbox, which shifted apart and morphed into a spiky rectangular club-like hammer with two heads on either side. The bushes in front of him rustled and a low growl reached his ears. "I've detected signs of Grimm. Engaging now." He didn't wait for a reply, only rushing through the bushes and swinging his club. He heard the satisfying roar of a Grimm echo in the air. As he burst back out of the cover, two Ursas bellowed and followed him.

 _Tch!_ He deactivated his "Semblance" ( _It was wasting energy and focus anyway_ , he thought) and charged once again, rolling under an Ursa's swipe and thrusting the brunt of his weapon into the Grimm. A gunshot rang in the air and propelled the Ursa back. The other Ursa roared and rammed into him, sending him crashing against the bark of a tree. Spitting out blood, he flicked another switch on his weapon and felt the mechanical parts within shift into an axe-like halberd with two rectangular guards alongside the grip. He stared down the two Ursas as both battlers sized each other up.

A gunshot initiated the conflict, and Seto charged. Using the momentum of his swings he slashed and hacked away at the Ursa, his movements flowing into one seamless dance. An Ursa roared as it managed to find an opening, but just as quickly he shifted his halberd back into the club hammer and batted the claw away. The other Ursa attempted to attack him seconds later, but he twisted the other end of the club to smash it in the face. An added gunshot propelled the club back into a spin. Shifting it back into a halberd, he thrust it at the first Ursa and sank the blade in between its armor. From one of the many pockets of his jumpsuit he pulled out a crude Dust crystal, flipped open one of the boxes alongside the grip, and jammed the crystal in.

"Hope you like some fire!" he growled as he angled the weapon and pulled the trigger. The Grimm promptly blew up in a burst of flame. He spun around to face the remaining Grimm as the dead Ursa's head plopped to the ground. Pulling out a smaller piece of Dust, he flipped open the other box and repeated the process.

"Looks like I'm going to have to thank Kano later," he sighed. "If it wasn't for his… infiltration activities, we wouldn't even have Dust to help us. Not that I particularly agree with his methods… but at least he's robbing robbers?" The Ursa growled at him. "Right, right, I have to kill you before rambling on about my life and my friends." He flashed a smirk at the Grimm and aimed the tip of the halberd at it. A jet of high-pressure water shot out and pierced through the Ursa and blasted through several trees. Charging forth, he twisted his halberd into the Ursa while holding the trigger, water trailing behind the blade's path. He slashed at the Ursa once, twice, three times before uppercutting it and cleaving straight through the Ursa's stomach.

 **{End Shounen Brave}**

Seto frowned at his halberd as the Grimm faded into the atmosphere. "That took longer than I thought. Maybe the blade's dull…?" he hummed to himself. He shrugged and clicked on a link. "I've finished up here. What's your status?"

" _A pack of Beowolves came running by. None of them stood a chance against me!"_

" _I had to fight off an Ursa, but nothing too serious."_

Seto sighed. "All this in just the first half of the watch? Guess we didn't clean up this place as well as we thought."

" _Who cares? My blood's pumping for action tonight!"_

" _Ah… Since Takane's so pumped up I'll have to do my best as well!"_

Seto smiled as his eyes burned red. "Let's hope that nothing too major pops up. Over and out." His eyes trailed up to the broken moon shining in the sky. "...We've come a long way since then, huh…?" he murmured softly. "Hard to believe… that we'd be here now…"

* * *

 **S** late trailer

A suspicious looking boy strolled down the dark streets of Vale, his eyes shadowed over by his hood. He wore a short-sleeved black coat colored white on the inside with three white spots on either side of his hood. Under the coat was a sleeveless beige cotton shirt, dark blue jeans, and black combat boots. Short, straw-colored hair lined his head. On both arms were metal black gauntlets attached to fingerless black gloves with rings on the backs. His communications earpiece blinked red, but he ignored it, instead turning his attention to the rundown building in front of him.

 _Here it is,_ he thought to himself as his eyes flashed red. To any onlookers, his appearance would've looked like he morphed into a teenage boy with dark brown hair, green eyes, black glasses, and a white cloak with a pair of fox ears perched on their head. Pushing open the door, he walked in. All activity ceased to stare at the new intruder. He pulled up a seat at the wooden bar table and held up one finger.

"R-right away, sir!" As if his words were the trigger, whispers arose from the other tables.

"Is that him?"

"Shiaka?"

"What's _he_ doing here?"

"Shiaka" smirked at the uncertainty of the other people around him. _That's right. That's exactly what you should do. Fear me. Hate me. Distrust me._

The clink of a glass drew his attention back to the bartender. "Ah, one more thing," he said. His voice hardened. "I wish to talk to _them_."

The bartender stiffened and nodded. "As you wish, sir." The man scurried off. Only a few minutes later, he returned with a figure in a white cloak with a red wolf symbol slashed through with claw marks.

"Password?"

"The moon rises."

"Correct." The figure slid in the seat next to him.

"Yo," the boy said. "I heard that there's trouble brewing?"

The figure nodded as they slid a piece of paper toward him. He quickly scanned it and crumpled it into a ball. "Your reward will be 2,000,000 Lien."

"Cool." He got up and walked out the door, drink in hand. "I'll get on it straight away."

* * *

 **{Play Kano's Theme: Yobanashi Deceive}**

The blond haired boy sighed as he walked up to the large building, red eyes burning. _Wipe out everyone in this building, eh? Well, might as well get started._

He cocked his gauntlets and blasted open the door. Instantly, robotic whirring rang out from within. He stepped within the base, combat boots crunching against the rubble. "Time for all of you to be turned into scrap heap!"

Even more machine-like noises rang in his ears as he flashed a smirk. Waves of mechanical soldiers charged at him. He flicked his arms, two double-ended boomerang daggers resting in his hands. He flung both daggers at the incoming soldiers and watched as they sliced through the opposition before spinning back towards him.

"Guess what?" he called as he caught the daggers. "Both of them are also a gun!" He pointed the nozzle towards the troops and pulled back the triggers, watching as the semi-automatic boomerang gun daggers emptied their rounds into the soldiers. Once the gunfire ceased, he tossed the two deadly weapons up and slid them into his gauntlets.

 _Time to find the leader,_ he thought, gazing at the flight of stairs leading to the next path. Shrapnel coated the floor, metal corpses slumped against the ground. Not a single survivor was left, all of the robots damage irreparably.

Placing his hands in his pockets, he ascended to the next floor. As soon as he stepped out of the doorway, an alarm blared into the night. A multitude of weapons were aimed at him. Sighing, he pulled his hands back and punched forward. Two knives shot out of his gauntlets and buried themselves in the armors of two of the soldiers. The others fired their guns, but he ducked under them and flung his gauntlets apart. The knives within the soldiers swung in the air, following the gauntlets' path via string attached to the hilt. The lightweight bodies slammed into the other soldiers, breaking their line of defense and knocking guns out of their grasp. Bullets rained down and splayed all over the room. The boy ducked and rolled behind a large metal box to use as his shield while the rest of the soldiers fell victim to their own weapons. He cocked his fists back, retrieving his stringed throwing knives. As soon as the gunfire stopped, he peeked his head out to view the carnage.

Like the previous floor, shrapnel and metal corpses stained the walls.

 _There's no way they'll be able to repair any of those robots,_ he thought with grim satisfaction. He scanned the room once again before sprinting up the last flight of stairs.

As he kept climbing the steps, thoughts swam in his mind. At first he tried to keep them at bay, to focus entirely on the mission at hand, but eventually he allowed them to take over his mind.

 _Who would've thought that you would be working with the White Fang? Who would've thought that you would've become well-known in the underground? Who would've thought that you would be exactly like those people that took your mother's life?_

He abruptly cut off that train of thought as he stood in front of a lone metal door. "Final floor," he whispered to himself, feeling absolutely ridiculous for comparing this to a game. He grasped the handle and turned the knob.

Only to dive to the side as an explosion erupted behind him. He rolled and popped his head up to glance at the new obstacle. A large bulky robot was perched between him, the desk, and two people cowering against the wall.

"...Great, just great," he groaned as he dodged yet another explosion. He unsheathed his boomerang daggers and flung them at the robot before punching one of his throwing knives straight at it.

 _Remember, your objective is to kill the mechanic, that man cowering against the wall,_ he reminded himself as he dived under yet another explosion. He flung himself to the side and punched behind him. A shotgun rang out and propelled him into orbit, swinging him around the robot and against the walls. He caught a dagger spinning his way that nearly sliced his head off. He aimed the dagger and let the semi-automatic gun within take care of the rest, peppering the robot with multiple bullets. His eyes widened as a giant metal fist came his way, interrupting his swing and slamming him into the wall.

"...Shit, that's leaving a mark," he coughed as he pulled himself out. His eyes fixated on the man staring at him with wide eyes.

 _This is your chance._ Before anyone could blink, he thrust his free fist at the man, a knife hurtling out and piercing through the man's neck. He was dead before he could even blink.

A scream pierced the air as the woman cowering next to the man scrambled away into the corner. The boy grimaced as he turned his gaze back to the robot. He retrieved both throwing knives and picked up his dagger.

 _I'm going to need both daggers if I want to beat this thing._ Unfortunately for him, the other dagger was behind the robot. He thrust forward one of his knives into the area in front and punched his other hand to the side, throwing him into a wide arc following the knife. He cocked his fist back and landed in a skid, retrieving both the dagger and the knife as he slid to a stop behind the robot. Before it could turn around, he propelled himself forward and pierced both of his daggers within the robot. He grit his teeth and pulled the trigger, knuckles whitening as he held on for dear life. The robot flailed as round upon rounds of bullets were fired straight into it, shredding it apart from the inside out. Sensing an explosion, the boy released the triggers and leapt away. Seconds later, the harsh screech of metal rang out and the robot blew up.

Panting, the boy turned his gaze to the woman, who flinched and shrank even smaller within herself. Retrieving his daggers, he walked up to her. As he drew near, he caught the sight of a small bundle of cloth cradled within her arms.

"Please!" the woman pleaded, voice desperate. "Spare my child! Do whatever you want with me, but spare my child!"

His eyes softened as he stared down at the small bundle. "It is not a mercy to spare the child," he muttered to the woman. "It's the worst curse of all _._ " His heart braced himself for what he had to do next as he pointed his dagger at the two of them. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "But I cannot leave any survivors." With that, he pulled the trigger and ended both of their lives.

 **{End Yobanashi Deceive}**

* * *

"Shiaka" stepped out into the cool night of Mistral, the light of the broken moon shining down on him.

 _Sis would probably be furious with me… if she found out that I was using Kenjirou's appearance as an alias for this kind of underground work… a younger, fox-eared, green-eyed Kenjirou wearing a white cloak, but it's still Kenjirou's appearance nonetheless…_ He sighed as he gazed upward at the moon. "How did it come to this…?" he murmured. His mind flashed back to the blood pooling from the woman and the child.

"Shuuya Kano."

Kano stiffened and turned around, coming face to face with a boy in a green jumpsuit. "Seto…"

"Don't." He held up a hand. "Don't say anything." His bright red eyes were pleading. "...Why? Why did you start doing… doing _that_ kind of work?"

 _I don't know,_ Kano thought. _I don't know…_

 _But you do know,_ a voice whispered. _You do, you do, you just don't want to admit it, don't want to say that you know the snake too well to realize that he's most definitely coming back someday…_

"Why didn't you just read my mind earlier, huh?!" Kano screamed at him while hating himself for the outburst at the same time. "Maybe then… maybe then…!"

 _Maybe then you wouldn't be a monster? What a joke._

He buried his head in his hands and crumbled to the ground, his illusion falling to pieces around him. Six words echoed back to him. _I'll always be the same monster._ His mind drifted back to the time he spoke with Takane- at that time Ene- about the story of his life. That time when Ene passed on those words to Momo under the guise of a simple song. Those times when he continuously lied to the entire gang, over and over and over again.

"Ha…" His mouth curved into a smile. A chuckle forced its way out of his lips as he stared at the sky. "I really am a worthless fool, aren't I?!"

"You're not."

Kano froze as Seto's arms wrapped around him. "Do you remember what I told you, back then? You and I, we're brothers. We might be in a whole different world, but that still holds true." He fixed his blood-red eyes straight into Kano's own yellow. "I _care_ about you, Kano. Don't do this to yourself."

Kano gritted his teeth as he leaned into his brother. "...If you really care about me, you won't say a thing."

"Kano-!"

"No! Not one word! You of all people should understand, Kousuke!" He heaved a breath and stood up. "I'm in too deep. I've already built so many lies around myself that trying to change it would only make things worse. Just like before. Right now, there's no helping me. But if you tell the others… they'll only make things more complicated. I don't want them to be in danger because of my stupid mistake. This is to protect them, to make sure that they'll never get hurt by that snake again." _To make sure that_ all _of us won't get hurt by that bastard like last time. Like how I was._ " _Please_ Kousuke, I'm _begging_ you."

Seto frowned as his eyes faded back to gold. "...Alright. I swear I won't tell the others anything about this. But… you have to promise that you'll remember that we're all here for you, if you ever need us. Don't go around thinking that you're worthless. You're not. You're my brother, Shuuya. You don't have to go at this all on your own. Shintaro, for one, would probably appreciate what you're doing, even if he doesn't quite agree with your methods. After what happened back then…"

"...Don't worry, I promise. I might tell even Shintaro someday- that information glutton," Kano chuckled as he turned his back, eyes burning red. "You should go back now. I've still got some business to clean up before we leave Mistral. Besides, someone like you… shouldn't be hanging around these parts." His boots thumped against the floor, not bothering to check if Seto had returned to the others yet. "Someone like you… shouldn't need to do these kinds of things to keep their family safe," he whispered softly as a white cloak covered his body and he morphed back into his alias of "Shiaka". "However… it looks like this "deceiver" will still have to lie to their own family to protect them." With that, he was swallowed up by the shadows of the streets, the broken moon continuing to shine down the city of Mistral.

* * *

 **M** auvelous trailer

"B-but I really am seventeen!" A young girl squeaked as she stood in front of the officer. She had pink eyes with pale, cream-colored long hair that reached her ankles. The sleeves of her dress were cuffed with white above her elbows, and the dress itself was blue with white frills. On top of the dress was a white apron, with a white hoodie over that. In her hair was a pink headband with two large bows on either side. Hung around her neck was a black string necklace with a red jewel centerpiece. Tied around her wrists were white bands of cloth. A backpack and her weapon was slung over her back, a thin pink bow without a bowstring.

"Kid," the guard sighed. "For the last time, I can't let you in. You look far too young to be attending a combat school like this."

Marry felt tears in her eyes as she looked down. _What am I supposed to do? I really_ am _seventeen… technically I'm older… but the guard won't let me through! What would Kido and Seto do in this situation…?_

As if the thought had summoned her, Kido came running up to her. "Marry? What are you still doing here? I thought you came here with Seto and the others?"

"I-I did," Marry stammered. "But this guard says I'm not old enough…"

"Did you tell him how old you were?"

"He didn't believe me…"

Kido merely sighed and shook her head. "She really is seventeen," she repeated. "She's always looked young for her age. It doesn't help matters that she looks short for her age too."

"Kiiido!" Marry whined. Kido chuckled and looked at the guard.

"At any rate, we both have to get going. If you still don't believe her, well, the results on the application should prove whether or not she's allowed to go to Beacon."

The guard sighed as he drew his weapon. "I'm still not convinced. What you said does hold weight, though. We'll hold an entrance test. This way, we won't have any doubts."

Kido nodded and patted Marry's shoulder. "Good luck and don't worry. You're plenty strong enough to make it." She smiled encouragingly and walked on through the doorway. The guard gestured to Marry.

"Follow me. We have a small arena up ahead that we can use to test your validity."

* * *

 **{Play Marry's Theme: Imagination Forest}**

"Do you understand the rules?" A gathering of eight soldiers and one small mech were facing Marry, who was holding her bow in her hand. Her face was that of pure concentration as she stared down the group.

"Of course."

"Good. Then let's begin!" The group systematically raised their sword and charged straight at her.

Marry pulled back the string as her eyes flashed red. An arrow flared into existence. She pointed it at the charging group and fired, the arrow blasting through their formation. However, the mech managed to evade and swung its sword at her. She ducked under and flung her bow up, hearing the clang of metal against metal. She rolled to the side and fired her bow once again.

The mech batted away the aura projectile as the other soldiers regrouped and charged. Marry hastily stepped back, her bow shifting and morphing into a thin lance. She parried the first soldier's strike and glared straight into his eyes, who stiffened and froze. She spun past their deadlock and thrust out her hand, an aura burst firing out and meeting the next soldier.

Leaping back, she shifted her weapon into a bow once again and fired straight into the sky, which exploded and rained down on the ground. The mech managed to evade most of the shots, though, leaving Marry frantically dodging and blocking its blows.

 _What do I do, what do I do?_ she thought in a panic. She fired a point blank shot at the mech, sending it flying away. Almost immediately, the other soldiers were upon her, although some of them were sprawled out on the ground.

 _Awakening Eyes_ , she thought as she slammed down her fist into the ground. An aura shockwave shot out around her, sending the other soldiers flying back. She stepped back as she aimed her bow.

 _I have to finish this up if I want to make it to the exam in time!_ With that thought in mind, she narrowed her eyes as three arrows were nocked at once. _Favoring Eyes._ The streams of aura pierced through the soldiers' clothes and pinned them against the surrounding trees. That only left the mech facing against her.

Marry fired her bow as the mech charged, almost skating across the floor as it dodged her arrows and spun into an axe kick. She shrieked as her weapon was knocked away from her and skid across the floor. Turning, she caught a faceful of metal as the mech slammed its foot into her. She tumbled into a tree before picking herself up, the mech staring her down as she regained her senses. Her bow was too far away for her to run to it in time. She looked back at the mech and took a deep, calming breath.

 _...Captivating Eyes._

Almost instantaneously, the mech raised its weapon and charged straight at her. Keeping her eyes on the mech, she merely lifted her arm as the bow on the ground flew into her outstretched hand.

 _Retaining Eyes. Focusing Eyes. And…!_ She spun her bow and yanked on the string. _Favoring Eyes!_

The mech was blasted into pieces as a pink arrow tore clean through, blowing apart the surroundings and wracking the air with powerful winds. The soldiers were forced to brace themselves as the arrow blasted across the arena before fizzling out. As the effects of the aura arrow ceased, Marry smiled happily as she huffed for breath.

"I did it!"

The other soldiers were gaping at the spectacle before Marry's voice brought them back to their senses. "Great job," one of them called. The others merely exchanged surprised yet warm looks as Marry stood there with a sense of accomplishment and elation.

 **{End Imagination Forest}**

* * *

"Well, looks like you've done it. I've got to say, I didn't really believe George when he first told me that you were actually seventeen." It was a new guard who was chatting with Marry as he led her back to the application area. "You only look fourteen!"

At this, Marry's eyes widened.

"Ah- um, sorry if that offended you…"

"That's a whole three year increase!" she cheered as she beamed. The guard blinked before smiling.

"Someone thought you were eleven? I can't really see that after your show of strength, but I can understand. You really _do_ look young for your age."

Marry puffed up her cheeks. "I didn't ask to look young."

The guard gave a hearty laugh as he patted her on the back. "Well, we're here. Great job on the battle and good luck on getting into Beacon!"

"Thank you, Mr. Guard!" Marry called as she walked through the entrance. Said guard chuckled to himself as he watched her.

"She acts young too," he smiled to himself as he returned to his duties. "Hard to believe that she's such a proficient fighter…"

* * *

 **A/N: Questions of the day: 1. Do you think I should also do trailers for Ayano, Shintaro, Takane, and Haruka? Or should I just go straight to the first chapter? 2. Were any of the characters OOC in any way?**

 **Now, about the characters:**

 **Kido's "Semblance" is pretty self explanatory. Concealing Eyes, invisibility powers, effect broken with contact, yada yada yada. Her Semblance is pretty much the same as her normal eye power. Her weapon's probably the simplest (but she does mention that she doesn't like flashy clothing somewhere... at least, according to the wiki).**

 **Seto is a whole lot more willing to use the Stealing Eyes because he _knows_ that using them would mean that they're more likely to survive against Grimm and criminals (if you didn't see in Kano's trailer, they were in Mistral for a period of time, and if you saw the World of Remnant vid for Mistral, you'll know that Mistral's pretty well known for its black market and what not). Needless to say, Seto's "Semblance" is pretty much the same. Some things I added were that when the area of effect increases, the potency decreases, ****going from their deepest secrets, to specific thoughts, to what the target is thinking of, to instincts and/or strong desires.**

 **Kano... Kano's "Semblance" is the same as well. As for the trailer itself... well, I'll just say that it's important to the story later on. (It miiight have been a bit out of character tho -v-;). As for his weapons... do you think I went overboard? (I'm pretty sure I might've gone overboard. My only excuse? Kano likes versatility). His weapon is basically Gambol Shroud and Ember Celica combined, along with boomerang gun daggers.**

 **Marry's "Semblance" is a bit more complicated. I based hers off of her Combining Eyes, i.e. being able to use all the other eye abilities to a certain degree. Out of all of the Kagepro chars, she is by far the most proficient with aura and Dust manipulation, what with her Semblance being so versatile. Since her Semblance is pretty much the other char's semblances plus her Locking Eyes, she's pretty much a spellcasting powerhouse lolol.**

 **Ayano is bomb crazy. Why not? I imagine that she has a secret love for explosions (which was definitely not helped by Grimm being soulless monsters, the fact that there's so many ways to blow evil monsters up, or the superhero movies that she was likely fond of). Too bad her weapon isn't some sort of crazy bomb machine, but she lets Shintaro blow stuff up whenever she can get him to ;)**

 **About the "trailers":**

 **Marry's was by far the hardest. Since she's mostly a support character, it's kinda hard to show her fighting alone. She _can_ hold her ground on her own if it comes to it though. Kano's was probably second hardest simply because of the backstory and character moments I had to shove in there (read: couldn't resist shoving in there). While I absolutely adore Kano's character, it can be hard sometimes to get it right (speaking of, did I get it right? Or did I totally bomb it?).**

 **Timeline wise, Seto's trailer comes sometime before Kano's which comes sometime before Marry's. Kido's trailer can technically happen at anytime, but I like to think that it happened sometime before Seto's, when they were still on the road but they've grown accustomed to their weapons and the new world.**

 **About their weapons and other miscellaneous things...:**

 **Marry flat out _refuses_ to use guns. End of story. The others are semi-reluctant at varying degrees, but all of them have come to terms with it (in order to least to most reluctant, it'll probably be something like... Takane, Shintaro, Kano, insert other chars, Hiyori, Hibiya, and maaaybe Seto? ditto). More on why in the first/backstory chapter.**

 **Kido the ninja. Hwa cha!**

 **Shintaro and Takane's weapons are... pretty obvious. Same with Kido. Heck, they're pretty much the only ones who actually _have_ confirmed preferences for weapons (the shooting game in the anime).**

 **As for who made the weapons? Well, when you have someone who virtually did all the physical work for the gang, a nearly certified genius, and a crazy gamer who is _also_ somehow able to have crazy skill when it comes to _real life_ guns? Yeah, weapons aren't exactly going to be all that difficult. As for how they got the materials? One word: Kano. (I mean, it _is_ mentioned that he did a lot of the pilfering for the gang when it came to supplies...).**

 **HOOOOLY CRAp that is a looong A/N. Seriously, wuuuut? Anyways, be sure to follow, favorite, and review! Please check out my other stories as well and I hope you enjoyed! (also, be sure to check out the poll on my profile if you liked this to vote! It's basically a popularity poll on which of my stories I should focus on).**

 **tl;dr: Should I do a trailer for team ASTH? And please give weapon name suggestions!**


	2. Welcome to Beacon

**A/N: Hey! It's been half a month since I've updated this thing! And guess what! I wrote this entire thing on a whim! (help me) Hopefully it's still good (or at least satisfactory)!**

 **Something I forgot to mention in the previous chapter is that I'm also taking emblem ideas! I honestly have no idea where to start with the emblems (haha) I just know that I want to include them somehow as some sort of cameo or something (maybe written into the kagepro chars' designs)**

 **Also, I'm going to be assuming that if you're reading this, then know RWBY and know what the plot is (either from watching the series or from reading too many RWBY crossover fanfics (me)). Therefore, I'll be skipping a looot of stuff that'll probably be good to know if you _don't_ know RWBY.**

 **Not much else to say here so enjoy!**

* * *

 _He was gasping, struggling for breath as Kono- no, the snake held him off the ground with a single hand. Behind him were the still bodies of Kido and Kano, ridden with bullet holes. He could hear Marry's terrified cries echo behind him._

 _"Stop it! Seto_ _…_ _SETO!"_

 _"M-Marry…" he whispered as he weakly clasped his hands around the snake's. He couldn't die, this couldn't be happening…_

 _Momo's choked sobs rang behind him as she hugged Marry, eyes screwed tightly shut. Shintaro had collapsed on his knees next to her, frozen with shock as his eyes stared blankly at him. Seto couldn't blame him. Kido, Kano, and En- Takane was dead… Even Hibiya wasn't spared._

 _The mere thought made him struggle harder as he tried to twist the snake's grip off._

 _"Oh my, does this little boy want to play?" the snake laughed. He brought up his other hand and pointed it straight at Seto, the gun's barrel gleaming in the lab's faint lights. "SAY GOODBYE!" he cackled._

 _Seto opened his mouth to scream but a gunshot screeched painfully loud in his ears and his mouth exploded with pain. He dimly felt himself hitting the ground before the world turned red and he felt no more._

* * *

Seto jerked awake as he bolted upright. The first thing he noticed was the rapid beating of his heart telling him that yes, he was very much alive. He took a deep breath in and exhaled as he closed his eyes and massaged his temples.

"Damn…" he muttered. "Just a nightmare…" He opened his eyes and turned to face the window. The bright sunlight streaming in told him that he had overslept. His clouded brain struggled to remember the significance.

"Oh crap!" He ripped off the covers and thrust open his closet. _Today's the day we're going to Beacon!_ He hastily threw on his normal clothes (a green hooded jumpsuit) and raced to the dining room. Kido and Ayano were already in the kitchen, whipping up some breakfast. Kano and Marry were sitting at the table, chatting with each other.

"Hey!" Seto called. "Did I miss anything?"

"There you are," Kano said. "It's not like you to sleep in, Seto," he teased. "We were just about to go and wake you up."

"Are you alright, Seto?" Ayano asked, ever the caring one.

"Just a nightmare," he shrugged. "I'm fine."

Ayano frowned at this and turned away. It was Marry's turn to bombard him with worries.

"Are you really fine, Seto? It was about back then, right? Oh- I'm really sorry for bringing it up…!"

Seto chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, Marry. I told you, I'm fine."

"Breakfast is ready," Kido called as she and Ayano appeared next to the table with a stack of pancakes.

"Oh~ this looks great!" Kano exclaimed. "As expected of our great and powerful leader!"

Kido sent him a half-hearted glare while Ayano clucked her tongue good-naturedly.

"Kano," she warned, but she was smiling. "After breakfast, we'll be heading over to the bullhead, so eat up."

"Shouldn't we bring Shintaro with us?" Marry fretted.

Ayano shook her head. "I think he'll be fine. After all, he's got Takane and Haruka with him! We'll meet each other on the bullhead or at Beacon," she concluded. They enjoyed their meal in relative silence, the occasional question or remark thrown amongst each other.

"Ah!" The peaceful moment was interrupted by a clatter. "I forgot to pack my things!" With that, she dashed out.

"Oi! Marry! You didn't finish your-... Nevermind," Kido sighed.

Seto shook his head and stood up. "I should probably go help her," he remarked as he left the room. Once he was in the hallway, he stopped, his smile taking on a more melancholy tint.

 _It's so normal, isn't it?_ he asked himself. _Ayano's here, Kido's here, everyone's here. I can't help but appreciate this life. Then again,_ he chuckled. _If anyone went through what we did, they'd probably say the same._

* * *

"Ohh, my little sister is coming to Beacon with me!" Yang squealed as she hugged Ruby.

"Yang… can't… breathe…"

"Sorry!" She immediately released her and stepped back. "I'm just so proud of you!"

"It really wasn't that big of a deal…"

"Not that big of a deal? That was incredible! Everyone's going to think you're the bee's knees!"

"But I don't want to be the bee's knees! I don't want to be any kind of knees! I just want to be a normal girl with _normal_ knees."

"What's wrong, Rubes? Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I'm excited!" she exclaimed. "It's just… I got jumped ahead two years. I don't want people to think I'm special or anything."

"But you _are_ special," Yang said as she wrapped an arm around her. The sound of people arguing drew their attention.

"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die! I'm seriously gonna die!" The one who said this was a black-haired boy wearing a red high-collared sweater with white stripes on top of a black t-shirt. He was also wearing beige jeans, red and white sneakers, and a sniper rifle attached to a belt slung over his shoulder.

"Shut up, you pussy!" This time it was a girl with black pigtails wearing a dark blue sweater with a hood. Hung around her neck was a black gas mask. She was also wearing a short yellow side-cut skirt, black medium-short leggings, and white headphones.

"Ah… Shintaro… you really shouldn't say things like that…" The final male of the trio had dark brown hair and was wearing a light-green jacket over a white dress shirt and black leather pants tucked into dark ankle boots. There was a strange dark-colored birthmark under his right eye that looked like two dots connected with a thin line. A greatsword was strung over his back.

The two sisters looked at each other. "I wonder what his deal is?" Yang asked. Ruby shrugged.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon." They turned to see a hologram of a blonde woman with a riding crop.

"Who's that?"

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch."

"Oh."

"You are one of the selected few to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and it's your job as future huntsmen and huntresses to uphold that peace."

"Peace?" Shintaro muttered quietly to himself. "What a joke…"

"You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world." With that, the projection faded away. Ruby's eyes sparkled as she pressed her hands against the window.

"Wow! You can see Signal from here! Guess home isn't as far away as I thought," she said as Yang came up to her.

"Beacon's our home now," she reminded as the two stared out at the kingdom of Vale. The two heard retching sounds from behind and turned to see the commotion.

"Gross!" the pigtailed girl was yelling as she shoved the black-haired boy away from her. "Get away from me, you pathetic wuss!"

"A-ah, Takane calm-"

"GET! OUT!"

The now dubbed Haruka shrank back as the black-haired boy wisely decided to scram.

Yang whistled. "She certainly has a temper. Wonder what got her so mad?"

"Do you really want to find out?"

"I suppose not," she shrugged. She spotted a blond-haired boy hurrying past her. "Looks like the view isn't for everyone."

"I wonder who we're gonna meet?"

"Well, I just hope they're better than Vomit-boy over there."

Ruby giggled as the bullhead continued on its course to Beacon.

* * *

Marry stumbled out onto the grounds of Beacon and blinked owlishly.

 _W...where's everyone?_

"K-Kido? S-Seto? Kano? A-Ayano?"

She glanced around before realizing that she couldn't recognize anyone that she saw around her.

 _Oh no…_ She pulled her hood tighter over her face. _Ohh what do I do, what do I do? I lost sight of the others when we left the bullhead… what do I do?!_ She continued panicking inwardly, not noticing the black-haired girl watching her.

* * *

Kido frowned worriedly as she looked around her. She couldn't see Marry anywhere.

"Guys," she called. "Have you seen Marry?"

"Marry?" Seto frowned as he scanned the area. "No, I haven't."

"Can't find any of the others as well," Kano remarked. "Looks like we've been split up from the rest of the gang."

Kido sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I hope that some of them are with Marry. Who knows what kind of trouble she'll run into on her own…"

* * *

Blake was enjoying her book when she felt someone tugging on her shirt next to her. "E-excuse me, um… could you… could you-?" the girl squeaked when Blake turned her gaze on her.

"Yes, what is it?" _What is this strange feeling I'm getting? Why does my skin crawl every time I look at you?_

The girl averted her gaze to the floor as she stammered, "I-I can't find any of my friends… Ha-have you seen any of them?"

Blake kept her poker face. "I wouldn't know if I've seen them if I don't know who your friends are."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "W-well… Kido wears a purple hoodie, Seto has a green jumpsuit, Kano wears a black hoodie… Ayano wears a black vest…"

"Tell you what," Blake interrupted, sensing a very long 'narrative exposition'. "We can search for your friends in the auditorium. That's where all applicants are supposed to head to."

"Really?" She turned her round pink eyes on her. "Thank you so much, Miss… um… what is your name?"

"Blake Belladonna."

"Thank you, M-miss Belladonna! My- my name's Marry Kozakura! I hope we can get along!"

"Just call me Blake," she said as she headed towards the looming building ahead.

* * *

An explosion rocked the grounds of Beacon.

"You hear that?"

Kano blinked and turned in the direction of the explosion. "Yeah. You think that's where Marry wandered off to?"

"I wouldn't put it past her…" Kido muttered.

"I'll go check it out," Seto offered before jogging away.

* * *

"Ah! A-are you okay?" a voice cried as someone skid to a stop.

Ruby blinked at the cream-haired girl standing in front of her. "Um… y-yeah-?"

"This is _exactly_ what I was talking about!" Ruby turned her attention back to the white-haired girl who was currently glaring at her.

"I'm really, _really_ sorry!" she said as she fidgeted under her gaze.

You complete _dolt_!" She turned her gaze onto both of them. "What are you two even doing here? Aren't you kids too young to be in Beacon?!"

"But I really _am_ seventeen!" the cream-haired girl protested as she pouted. "It's not like I asked to look younger than I really am!"

This seemed to throw the white-haired girl for a loop, as she paused and stared at her disbelievingly before turning back to Ruby. "This isn't your ordinary combat school, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so watch where you're going!"

"Hey, I said I was _sorry_ , princess!" Ruby finally snapped.

"It's heiress, actually."

The three turned to see a black-haired girl with golden eyes walk up to them, clutching a vial of fire Dust. "Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust company."

"Finally some recognition!" she burst out.

"The _same_ company that's infamous for its controversial labor forces and _questionable_ business partners."

"Y-you… why you!" she sputtered.

"W-well!" the cream-haired girl cut in. "I-I'm really sorry I didn't recognize you, Ms. Schnee! I heard you at the singing contest- your voice is really pretty," she stammered. She received another disbelieving stare in response.

"I didn't think someone like _you_ would be attending such an event," Weiss said.

"A-ahm, my friend Momo was there… She was competing and we were there for moral support…"

"Momo?!" This time it was Ruby who spoke. "Are you talking about _Momo Kisaragi_?! The famous idol who's also self-training herself to be a huntress?!"

The cream-haired girl shrank under all of the stares. "Y-yes…?"

"Oh wow, that's _so cool_!" she squealed. "Can I have her autograph? Can I ask you for her autograph? Oh man, I can't believe that I'm meeting someone who's friends with her!"

Weiss shot Ruby an icy glare before turning to her. "Well then, tell her that I wish her good luck in her career and that her voice was quite nice as well," she said stiffly before turning and stalking off.

The cream-haired girl turned to the black-haired girl, pink eyes pleading as Ruby continued her spiel.

She sighed before glancing at the rampaging Ruby. "Hey."

Ruby immediately broke off. "Y-yes?"

She motioned to the cream-haired girl, who had shrunken even further and pulled her hood over her head.

"Oh!" Ruby gasped. "I'm so, so sorry! I…!"

"N-no, it's fine!" the girl interrupted. "It's only natural you'd react like that… I'm just not all that great with attention…" She hesitantly laughed. "My… my name's Marry! What's yours?"

"Ruby! Ruby Rose."

"Oh! Speaking of names," Marry turned to the black-haired girl. "Why did you do that, Miss Blake?"

"I was only speaking the truth."

"E-even if it was the truth! You didn't have to antagonize her like that! A-at least, that's what I think…"

"Marry!" The new threesome turned to find a boy with yellow eyes in a green jumpsuit jogging up to them. "We've been looking for you!"

"Seto!" Marry dived into the boy's arms. "I actually did it! I actually talked with people! I actually socialized with people! I-I didn't completely break down!"

The now identified Seto chuckled as he ruffled her hair. "That's great." He turned his gaze upward to Ruby and Blake. "I'm guessing you two are the ones who've helped her?"

"Eh… not really," Ruby replied sheepishly. "She was with her more," she added, nodding at Blake.

"She was a fellow applicant," she said. "It wasn't much."

"Still, thank you." He looked at Ruby. "Aren't you younger than everyone else here?"

"Uh… yes… but-"

"No need to tell me why," he said. "Still, I'm assuming that you don't know where to go, do you? We can go together."

"B-but shouldn't you inform the others?" Marry piped up.

"They'll be fine," he smiled. "If I don't go back they'll probably assume that I've found you. We'll meet up at the auditorium anyways."

"If it's fine with you… then yes!" Ruby eagerly said.

Seto laughed and strode forward before turning. "You coming, Marry?"

"I'll catch up!" Marry called. "There's something I want to ask Miss Blake."

"...Alright. Just don't get lost again!" he said as the two of them headed down the pathway.

* * *

Blake turned to Marry. "So, what is it that you wanted to ask me?"

Marry peered deep into her eyes, and it was all she could do to keep herself from flinching away.

"You're a faunus, aren't you?"

This time Blake really did jerk back. "How did you-?!"

In response, Marry loosened the buttons on the collar of her dress and pulled it down. Below her neck, alongside her collarbone was a line of scales. _Snake scales,_ Blake realized.

"I won't tell if you don't want me to tell," she said. She brought it back up and buttoned her collar once again. "That said, I hope you don't mind keeping my own heritage a secret."

"I don't," Blake replied, still slightly stunned at the revelation. "But how could you tell that I was a faunus?"

"It was just a guess," she stammered. "Your scent was what gave it away. Faunus like us have enhanced senses, after all." She pulled her hood down over her head. "Do- do you mind if I ask what type of faunus you are?"

Blake glanced around to find the courtyard devoid of people. "Cat," she said, twitching her bow to prove her point. "If you want to catch up to your friend, we'd better head off now."

"Ah- that's right! Let's go, Miss Blake!" With that Marry dashed off. Blake blinked before shaking her head.

 _Now that I think about it, the shape of her eyes are a bit snake-like,_ she thought as she followed her to the auditorium.

* * *

 **Finally, a new chapter!**

 **Right now the poll results on my profile are leaning towards my MMxFT fic Shattering Lenses so I'm focusing on that first.**

 **I'm pretty sure there's a ton of OOCness going on, I just don't know how to fix it .m. That said, if you feel that the OOCness is getting to either be unbearable or stupidly obvious, please tell me! Examples include if Marry was stuttering too much (or too little at the end), Ruby was just ooc in general, Blake was less 'secretive' for lack of a better word, or if Weiss was less snobbish or something (idk).**

 **Next up: no idea! (hopefully initiation, but idk how long these chappies are gonna be tbh)**


	3. Welcome to Beacon Pt 2

**Note: Takane's outfit is basically her headphone actor outfit with a more bluer jacket/sweater. Ayano's outfit is explained in this chappie, but it's pretty similar to her school outfit except she wears an open vest hoodie tied together with a ribbon and boots. Haruka's outfit is pretty much his Summertime Record outfit with boots instead of sneakers. Marry's outfit is her Imagination Forest outfit with the hood (I think; not sure how many differences there are between her outfit in I.F. and her anime outfit other than the bandage around her wrist).**

 **Seto and Shintaro's outfits are pretty much the same (except Shintaro's sweater has a hood now).**

 **Kido and Kano both have gauntlet(s) added to their outfit but they're otherwise the same (but Kano has fingerless gloves too)**

* * *

Jaune groaned as wandered around the grounds of Beacon. _Yup. that's it. I'm completely, hopelessly lost. Where in the world are we supposed to go?_

"Um, excuse me!"

He snapped out of his thoughts to find a girl with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes looking at him. She was wearing a dark, open long-sleeved hooded vest tied together at the top with a large white ribbon. Under that was a plain white shirt that was tucked into a medium-length dark skirt. Around her waist within the waistband of her skirt was a dark brown belt with a chain whip sword rolled up and clipped to the side. Dark boots stopped below her knees. A red hairclip was pinned to her left while a red scarf was wrapped around her neck and billowed out in the breeze.

"Have you seen a boy that's around your height with black hair wearing a red sweater?" she asked.

"I'm right here, idiot," a voice said behind the girl. Jaune looked up to see a boy who fit the very same description. "You shouldn't wander off on your own. This place is big."

The girl sheepishly scratched her cheek. "Ehehe, sorry, Shintaro."

 _Her smile is pretty,_ Jaune realized. "Well, the name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, ladies love it."

She turned a quizzed look at him. "Do they?"

"They will! At least, I hope they will…"

"Well, I'm Ayano Tateyama! My friend over here is Shintaro Kisaragi."

"Kisaragi?" Jaune stopped. "Why does that name sound familiar…?"

Shintaro sighed exasperatedly. "My sister's an idol. No big deal."

"No big deal?!" Jaune exclaimed. "My sisters talk about her all the time! No wonder I recognized the name." They continued walking down the path. "Say… do you know where you're going?"

"I don't," Ayano piped up. "Shintaro probably does know, so I've been following him."

Shintaro rolled his eyes. "You're lucky that I'm here. You would've gotten lost otherwise." He continued walking as he answered, "Yes, I do know where I'm going. All new applicants are to head to the auditorium."

"And… you don't mind if I tag along, do you?"

Shintaro gave a muffled noise of annoyance and strode forward. "You're hopeless."

"That means yes, by the way," Ayano stated as she grabbed Jaune's arm and pulled him forward. "Come on! We don't want to be late!"

* * *

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a seat!"

"Oh! That's my sister!" Ruby turned to the others who were following her. "W-would you like to meet her?"

"Sure," Seto smiled. "Maybe we'll be able to introduce you to our friends as well."

Blake shrugged and nodded. Ruby led them over to a blonde girl with lilac eyes.

"So, how's your first day going, little sister?" Yang asked.

"You mean since you ditched me and I blew up?" she deadpanned.

"Yikes. Meltdown already?"

"No, I _literally_ blew up! There was some fire… a-and I think some ice?" She shook her head and continued. "Anyway! Yang, I want you to meet Blake, Marry, and Seto."

"H-hello, Miss Yang…" Marry stuttered as she bowed.

Seto grinned amiably. "Nice to meet you!"

Blake merely gave her a nod.

Yang instantly brightened up. "See? I told you you'd be able to make some friends!" she said, turning to Ruby. "Now, what's this about breaking down?"

"She really did blow up, ma'am," Seto said. "According to Marry."

"Aren't you being sarcastic?" she asked Ruby.

"Ugh, I wish! I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage and she started yelling at me, and then I sneezed, and then I _exploded_ , then she started yelling at me again, and I felt really, _really_ bad and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!" Unknownst to her, said girl was creeping behind her as she talked.

"YOU!"

"Oh god, it's happening again!" Ruby wailed as she leaped into Yang's arms.

"You're lucky you weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" Weiss scolded.

"Oh my god, you really exploded," Yang realized. Seto blinked and attempted to diffuse the situation.

"Now, now, I'm sure she didn't mean to explode… wait, Ms. Schnee?"

"Mr. Seto?" The two stared at each other before Marry tentatively tugged at Seto.

"You- you know her?"

"Well, I did work part-time in a Dust shop directly supplied by the Schnee company," he said sheepishly. "It was luck that allowed me to meet her. You were on a business trip with your father, right?"

"That's right," Weiss said. She turned back to Ruby and pulled out a pamphlet.

"Look, I'm sorry, I- What's this?"

"The Schnee Dust company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee family highly encourages our customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy-to-follow guide to Dust application and practice in the field."

"Uhh…"

"Are you really sorry?"

"Y-yes!"

"Read this and don't ever speak to me again."

"Hey, hey, it looks like you two just got off the wrong foot!" Seto attempted to placate. "Ms. Schnee, I know she seems naive, but why don't you two start over and try to get along?"

"Or become friends!" Yang added.

"Great idea!" Ruby held out her hand to shake. "Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Want to hang out? We could go shopping for school supplies!"

"Yeah, and we can paint our nails, and try out clothes, and talk about cute boys like tall, blond and… scraggly over there!" she sneered.

Jaune blinked and turned. "What?"

"Really?" Ruby exclaimed.

"...NO."

"Oh hey!" Seto burst out. "Ayano! Shintaro!" he called. The two people next to Jaune glanced at him.

"Seto!" Ayano waved as she came closer with the other two in tow. "Do you know where the others are?"

"Well, Marry's right here," he replied, motioning to the cream-haired girl. "I know Kano and Kido should be with each other. I don't know about Haruka and Takane though," he admitted.

"Mm, they should be fine," Shintaro muttered. "If they're separated… I pray for the school's safety."

"Yeah… Takane can get a bit violent at times," Ayano explained to the others as she sweatdropped.

"Soo… what's your name?" Yang began. "I'm Yang!"

"Shintaro," he said, shooting a glare at Jaune that the others didn't understand.

"Ayano Tateyama!" the scarfed girl said.

"Kousuke Seto!"

"M-Marry Kozakura," Marry stuttered.

"Jaune Arc," the blond said. "Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, ladies love it."

"Do they?" Ruby asked skeptically. Ayano shrugged.

"They do!" Jaune protested. "I… I think they do! I hope," he muttered.

"...Ahem. I'll… keep this brief." The group turned to see Ozpin standing on stage. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people." Ruby smiled at this.

"But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy. In need of a purpose, a direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." With that, he walked away.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight," Glynda stated. "Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed!"

"He seemed… kind of off, almost like he wasn't there," Yang noted.

Jaune leaned in towards Weiss. "I'm a natural blond, you know."

Weiss facepalmed.

* * *

"It's like a biiig slumber party!" Yang cheered as she slammed into her bed.

"I don't think dad would approve of all the boys, though."

"I know I do," Yang purred. "What's that?" she asked, spying the pen and paper in Ruby's hands.

"A letter to the gang back at Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."

"Awww, that's so cute!" Yang was awarded with a pillow to the face.

"Shut up!" Ruby groaned. "I didn't get to take my friends with me to school. It's weird not knowing anyone here."

"What about Seto, Marry, and Blake? And… Jaune! There you go! Plus four friends!"

"I'm pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to three," she sighed. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Blake doesn't really care about me and I barely know Jaune and Seto. No matter how nice they can be."

"There's no such thing as negative friends! You just made one friend, three acquaintances, and one enemy!" She stumbled back from the force of another pillow hitting her.

"Trust me, you've got friends all around you," Yang continued. "You just haven't met them yet." They turned at the lighting of a candle to find Marry and Blake chatting quietly to each other while Blake was holding a book. Yang got a devious glint in her eye as she grabbed Ruby's arm.

"Hey- wait! What are you doing?"

Yang ignored her, proceeding to drag her over to the two girls. "Helloo~!"

"Ah! M-miss Yang!"

"What do you want?" Blake asked bluntly.

"Well, I thought that since you three know each other, you'd like some bonding time! And as her wonderful older sister, I couldn't help but try to let my sister socialize with others!"

"Hm? You really do have to work on your facade, Yang~"

Said girl nearly jumped out of her skin. "Wha-?!"

"Kano!" Marry exclaimed. "Don't creep her out like that!"

Yang heard a chuckle behind her. "Well, I can't exactly help it. The moment was too perfect." She turned to find a blond-haired boy with sharp, fox-like yellow eyes.

"Yo!" he said. "The name's Shuuya Kano. Call me Kano!"

"Why are you here?" Marry asked. "I thought you were with the others?"

"I was, but then I remembered that I had to talk with this lady over here," he said, winking at Blake. His head suddenly slammed into the ground.

"Kano," someone growled behind him. "Quit scaring everyone with your playboy attitude." A girl in a hoodie with medium-long green hair was revealed to be standing over him, her hand firmly planted on top of his head. She looked at the other girls and sighed. "Sorry about that. He _hopefully_ doesn't mean any harm, but he's always been like that. My name is Tsubomi Kido. Call me Kido. Yours?"

"...Yang Xiao Long! Call me Yang!"

"Blake Belladonna, you can call me Blake."

"...Ruby Rose! Call me Ruby!"

"Nice meeting you, Ruby, Yang, Blake," she smiled. "Now then, _Kano_ ," she started, her tone completely changing. "You better not be causing any trouble, you hear me?"

"Ow ow ow! Yes, Miss Commander!"

Kido gave one last squeeze before letting go. Kano instantly popped up, a stupid grin on his face like nothing had happened. "So!" he said. "Marry, you don't mind if I steal Blake for a bit, do you?"

Marry shook her head. "Uh uh! Go ahead."

"Great!" He grabbed Blake and dragged her to some far corner of the room. Yang and Ruby watched them go.

"...Will she be alright?" Yang asked.

Kido sighed. "She'll be fine. Kano may seem strange but he always does things for a reason. No matter _how_ stupid they may be," she added with a harsh growl. She stood up. "I'll be heading back to the others. I'm fairly sure Takane and Shintaro will be raising up a storm. I hope we'll meet again." With that, she left them to their own devices.

"...Are you _absolutely_ sure Blake will be fine?" Ruby asked Marry.

She nodded. "Kano doesn't hurt people for no reason! Much…"

"...That isn't doing much to reassure me," Yang deadpanned as she stared in the direction that Kano and Blake had gone.

* * *

"So," Kano said as he pinned her against the wall outside the ballroom. "Tell me, what are you doing here?" His smile had dropped in favor of a more serious expression on his face.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Blake stammered.

His eyes narrowed. "You really have to work on lying…" He leaned in closer to Blake. "Kitty of the White Fang."

Blake's eyes widened. "You-?! How do you-"

"Now tell me, little kitten. _What are you doing here_?" His voice was barely a whisper, yet it still sent chills down Blake's spine.

 _This guy… he's deadly!_ Her instincts were screaming at her, telling her to run away, run _far_ away… but he had her pinned against the wall, trapped in the corner.

"What do _you_ know about the White Fang?" she retorted. _If I could just buy time… maybe distract him-!_

"Evasion won't work on me. I know every trick in the book when it comes to lying. Especially with words." His fox-like eyes scanned her. "So. Answer me. What. Are. You. Doing here?"

"I left the White Fang!" she shouted in a whisper. "So leave me alone!"

"Oh?" A smile spread across his face, which terrified her more than the oddly serious expression that he had sported earlier. "You didn't answer my question."

"What does it matter to you?"

The pressure in the air instantly sharpened, Blake stiffening at the sudden change in atmosphere.

"It matters _everything_ to me," Kano stated. "After all, who knows what kind of motives a White Fang member has?"

"I told you, I'm not a member of the White Fang!"

"You say that, but is that the truth?" Blake's eyes widened as he continued. "Or is it all a lie? Tell me, Blake Belladonna, what is your reason for being here?"

"And how would you know if I'm telling the truth?" she hissed, but she trembled under his gaze.

"Oh, I'll know. After all, one doesn't become a deceiver without being able to tell when others are lying."

Blake growled. The pressure was unbearable. "You…"

"Yes, me. Now. _Answer me._ "

Something inside her snapped. "I want to be a huntress!" she hissed. "To atone and to deliver justice! To destroy corruption within this world!" She sucked in a breath as the tension left her body. "There! Are you _happy_ now?!"

Kano leaned back, though he still kept his hand against the wall. "Attagirl. That's exactly what I wanted." A smirk danced across his lips. "Now, there are a few things that I want to make clear."

Blake felt a thrill of fear race up her neck.

"First, if you attempt to tell _anyone_ of this encounter, be it your White Fang teammates or your teammates here at Beacon, I'll be sure to silence you. Second, touch or harm Marry or any of my friends in any way, and I will end you. Third… if you go crawling back to the White Fang, I will hunt and kill you myself." His eyes were like a snake's as he said this, cold as ice yet filled with insatiable bloodlust. "Do you understand?"

The cat faunus could only nod mutely. Kano grinned and stepped away, allowing her to get up. Instead of doing that, she sank to the ground. It was all she could do to stop herself from scampering back into the ballroom.

"Who…" she croaked as Kano turned away. "...Who are you?"

The blond smiled as he tilted his head in her direction. For the briefest of seconds, the image of a fox-eared boy with green eyes in a white cloak flashed in front of her. "I think it goes without saying that a master never reveals their identity. I'm sure you know what that means." At those words, he disappeared, leaving Blake gaping at the place where he once was and trying to recollect her bearings.

* * *

 **A/N: Question of the day: If the RWBYverse chars had a favorite Kagepro song, which song(s) do you think it would be? Ex. Blake likes Summertime Record, Ruby likes Daze, Yang likes Konoha's State of the World, Jaune likes Shounen Brave, Pyrrha likes Kisaragi Attention, etc.**

 **Also, did I completely botch the characters? Or were they ok?**

 **Yes, I know, terrible segway, but I was curious XD**

 **So! Kano threatens Blake! Was that OOC? Or perfectly justified? I'll leave it up to you!**

 **I like the idea of a Shintaro and Jaune bromance cuz they both a. embarass themselves easily and b. are pretty pathetic (especially physically).**

 **Takane's outfit is basically her headphone actor outfit with a more bluer jacket/sweater. Ayano's outfit is similar to her school outfit except she wears an open vest hoodie tied together with a ribbon. Haruka's outfit is pretty much his Summertime Record outfit with boots instead of sneakers. Marry's outfit is her Imagination Forest outfit with the hood (I think; not sure how many differences there are between her outfit there and her anime outfit other than the bandage around her wrist).**

 **P.S. Do you think I should put character bios at the end of each author's note?**

 **Also! Happy Holidays! (and merry late christmas nvn")**


	4. Initiation

**A/N: I am still taking weapon name suggestions! I have a few ideas, but not for everyone. A few questions tho:**

 **1\. Does _Memoir_ sound like a good name for Shintaro's weapon?**

 **2\. Which character do you think is most likely to name their weapon _Kagerou_ (or something along those lines)? Ayano?**

 **3\. Kano was the one who named the Blindfold gang. He is proven to be good with words. What would he name his weapon?**

 **4\. Does _Blindfold_ or _Mekaku_ suit Kido's weapon better?**

 **5\. What kind of names would the others' weapons have? (I don't even know where to begin with some of them like Haruka and Takane)**

 **Yes, I know it's a lot of questions but this is important! Like Ruby said, weapons are like people. A weapon's name reflects on the wielder's personality and other stuff like that.**

 **Without further ado, on with the story!**

* * *

"Shintaro Kisaragi." Glynda Goodwitch frowned at the transcripts. "A brilliant tactician, but somewhat lacking in the physical department. Relies heavily on being able to snipe the enemy. Ayano Tateyama. Seemingly mediocre in both theory and practical, but her Semblance is quite potent. Then there's Haruka Kokonose and Takane Enomoto, both of them quite skilled with their weapons but lacking in theory."

"It's rare to have so many transfer forms for older students," Ozpin noted. "Apparently, those four are close friends of four other applicants. In fact, Ms. Tateyama is the self-adoptive sister of all of them."

"It says that all eight of them were caught in a Grimm attack when they were young and have been fighting Grimm ever since. Not all that different from Mr. Ren and Ms. Valkyrie."

"Except Mr. Kisaragi's birth sister is now a famous celebrity who travels around with two other close friends who were caught in the attack," Ozpin pointed out. He sipped his coffee and set it down. "I don't see any reason _not_ to let them in. To have survived a Grimm attack on their own is a feat in of itself, not to mention how they managed to travel to Vale without losing their lives."

"Perhaps Ms. Kido's Semblance has something to do with that," Glynda suggested. "She called her Semblance the "Concealing Eyes" which might aid in avoiding detection from the Grimm."

"Indeed. Or maybe Mr. Kano's "Deceiving Eyes" as he so fondly puts it. At any rate, as long as they pass initiation it should be fine."

"You do have to wonder," Glynda began. "Why haven't they applied to any combat school before now?"

"Perhaps they were busy traveling with Mr. Kisaragi's sister and aiding her rise to stardom. They simply didn't have the time before. However, now that she's been an idol for almost a year, it's understandable that they want to improve their skills. I've heard that all eleven of them are applying to various schools now that they've carved out their mark in Vale."

"Speaking of carving a mark, what did you use for the relics this year?"

"You'll see. I think you will quite like them."

* * *

Haruka hefted his greatsword onto his back before closing the locker door shut. "So, Takane!" he chirped. "Are you ready?"

"Are you serious? I'm always ready!" The girl in question cocked her guns before clipping them to her sides. "Today's initiation!" she grinned. "Which means it's time to kick some ass!"

"Glad you're so cheerful," Haruka commented as the two walked along, passing Kido, Seto, and Blake along the way.

"You know about Marry being a faunus?" Seto asked Blake, who nodded. "Well, because she's a faunus and… certain other events we have to have either me or Kido partner with her," he explained. "Her social anxiety is so bad that she can barely function in the outside world without someone else helping her."

"Which was why we were making a plan," Kido cut in. "Seto here will be partnering with Marry while I'll be partnering with Kano because, to be honest, not many people can handle his… eccentricities. Putting it lightly."

"Speaking of, he didn't do anything to you, did he?" Seto said. "I know how he can get sometimes. He does things… that can be a bit traumatizing at times." Kido nodded her agreement.

Blake forced herself to keep her stoic gaze as she shook her head. "I'm fine. He didn't do anything at all."

"Hey, guys! Are we all set for initiation?" Kano came waltzing in with a hand raised in greeting. Blake could barely keep herself from tensing up.

"You're finally here," Kido stated as she slung her katana over her back. "Marry and Ayano already went ahead. What took you so long?"

Kano shrugged. "Oh, just a few errands." Blake was instantly suspicious. "Have you decided who's going to be partnering with who?"

"Seto and Marry," Kido replied. "And you're with me. I'm not sure about the others."

"Hm, well, I suppose it really isn't any of our business to dictate what our upperclassmen decide, now is it?" He turned to Blake. "Now then, shall we get on with initiation?" he asked with a carefree grin on his face.

Blake decided that she would never trust that smile again.

* * *

"Ridiculous!" Jaune burst out. "There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would've remembered having to count that high!" A tap on his back drew his attention to Shintaro, who wordlessly pointed to his side.

"Oh," he said as he looked down, finding Crocea Mors strapped to his belt. "Thanks, man."

"Whatever," he said as he continued walking. "By the way," he added. "Don't try to flirt with Weiss. She's not exactly one who appreciates such foolishness."

Jaune looked down dejectedly. "Harsh," he whimpered. "Real harsh…" He then spotted Weiss talking with an armored girl with red hair. "Maybe I should listen to him…? Nah," he decided as he strode over.

* * *

"For years you have trained to become warriors. And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams," Glynda continued. "Allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates… _today_."

"What?" Ruby whimpered.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time at Beacon," Ozpin picked up. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well with."

"Glad we got that sorted out," Seto whispered to Kido.

"That said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Cue the sound of Ruby's heart shattering. "What?!"

"I told you!" Nora said to Ren.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy anything in your path, or you will die."

"Ooh, blunt," Kano whistled.

Jaune chuckled nervously.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. That item and your standing will be what determines your grade and your teams. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah, um, sir-"

"Good! Take your positions."

Marry pulled out her bow and clenched it tightly in her hand while Seto shifted his weapon into club form. Kido drew her katana out while Takane grinned and shifted into a battle stance, guns at the ready.

"Um, sir, I've got a question," Jaune said with his hand raised.

Marry screeched as she was launched off the cliff. "KYAAAAH!"

"Just calm down, Marry!" Seto yelled before he, too, was launched off the cliff.

"So this landing strategy thing… uh, what is it? Will you be dropping us off or something?"

One by one, the other competitors were launched in the sky.

"No. You will be falling," Ozpin deadpanned.

Kano grinned as he was flung into the air. Kido rolled her eyes and practically leapt off herself; her timing was that good.

"Oh, I see. So, did you hand out, like, parachutes for us?"

"Woohoo!" Nora cheered as she catapulted away.

Takane smirked and laughed as she was launched. "Aw yeah!"

"No. You will be using your own landing strategy."

Ayano gave a reassuring smile at him before she was flung into the air like the rest. Yang winked at Ruby before putting on aviator sunglasses and flying away with a whoop.

"Just remember to stay calm," Shintaro said to Jaune before he was launched.

The blond in question blinked at his words. "Uh, okay, so what is a landing strate-" he broke off into panicked screams as he was finally launched, his outline fading along with the rest of the combatants.

* * *

Ayano laughed as she flew in the air, her voice like crystal waters in the sunlight.

 _I never would've thought that I'd be able to experience something like this!_

However, reality soon approached her, namely the ever-growing trees looming ahead. She frowned as she grabbed the handle of her weapon. _My weapon isn't exactly suited for these kinds of situations… but my 'Semblance' is!_ she thought as she flicked it out. She lifted her hand up and brought it down, the chain following her motions as it twisted around her. She continued swinging it around before cracking it forward, the blades burying themselves into the nearby branches. She swung her body forward, spinning into a roll as the blades followed her momentum and severed all obstacles within her way. As she neared the ground, her eyes flashed red. With her free hand, she made a shoving motion towards the floor.

A burst of aura rocketed out and exploded, sending her flying into a front flip and landing perfectly on the ground with her knees bent, her weapon trailing behind her. Straightening, she squealed to herself out of nowhere. "That was awwwwesome!"

* * *

Shintaro sighed to himself. _This really is such a bother… I hate physical tests like these,_ he grimaced. His eyes burned red as he summoned his rifle. He looked around, spying a few people that he recognized pulling off some pretty cool landing strategies.

"I'm really not cut out for this," he grumbled as he loaded a special Dust bullet, took aim, and fired. The resulting recoil sent him tumbling on the ground, roughed up but unhurt.

"I'm really, _really_ not cut out for this," he groaned as he rolled his shoulders and dusted himself off.

 _The headmaster said to go north,_ he reminded himself as he glanced at the sky before heading his merry way.

* * *

Marry shrieked as she continued flying in the air.

 _Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod!_ she screamed internally. _I'mflyingI'mflyingI'mflyingI'm…!_ She paused and blinked at the blue sky surrounding her. _I… I'm flying!_ she thought again, but this time with elation. _I'm… -oh my god, I need to think of a landing strategy!_

She nearly panicked, but the cool weight of the bow in her hand reminded her of why she was here.

 _I battled the Grimm… and survived!_ She drew her bow and angled it down as her eyes flared red. Shimmering pink aura gradually built up until it was a gleaming pink arrow nocked in her bow. She waited as the ground loomed closer and closer.

 _Favoring Eyes!_ she thought as she released the string. The arrow fired forward and burst apart, shooting her upward while stopping her momentum. She gently landed on the ground with both feet together.

"Whew…" she sighed, releasing a tension that she didn't know that she was carrying. "First step, done!" A rustling in the brush behind her drew her attention.

"Yo! That was amazing, Marry!" Seto called as he held up a hand, eyes shining a clear red.

"Seto!" Marry cheered as she barreled into him. Staring deep into his eyes with a smile she said, "I guess we're partners now, right?"

* * *

Kido dropped feet-first to the ground, her katana at the ready. As the trees shot up to her, she whisked her sword around her, cutting up all the branches. She continued slashing and hacking away until she fired a shot from her handle. The recoil propelled her forward as she rolled and skid to a stop.

 _Simple and clean,_ she thought to herself as her eyes flashed red and she disappeared. _Now… time to find that little trickster._

* * *

Ruby thudded to the ground before dashing forward. _Gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang…_

"Yaaaang?" she called. "Yaaang!"

 _Ugh, this is bad, this is_ really _bad… what if I can't find her? What if someone else finds her first? Well, there's always Marry! She's nice! ...She's a little timid, though. And I'm not sure how she'll hold up in a fight…_

 _But what about Seto? He seems strong and reliable. He's friendly too! But… he obviously cares about Marry. I… I don't think I'd be able to tear him away from her. Marry already seems vulnerable enough as it is._

 _Ooh, what about Blake? So mysterious, so calm. Plus she likes books! Then again, I'm… not sure if I'll be able to hold a conversation with her._

 _If all else fails, there's always Jaune, I guess. He's nice… and funny! ...I don't think he's very good in a fight, though._

 _Well, who else do I know? There's Yang, Marry, Seto, Blake, Jaune, and…_

Ruby skid to a halt as the sight of a white-clad person entered her line of vision. She stumbled before looking up, directly into the eyes of Weiss Schnee.

"..."

Weiss glared at her before stalking away.

"Wait!" Ruby called. She sighed dejectedly. "We're supposed to be teammates…"

* * *

Weiss grumbled to herself as she pushed away the shrubbery and continued on. _There's no way I'm partnering with a dolt like her!_ She paused as she heard voices trailing in front of her.

"Seto! Look, look!"

"Hah, I'm coming, I'm coming!" As she peered through the trees, she spotted the distinct form of the white-hooded girl and Seto. She gritted her teeth.

 _He already has a partner…_

She growled to herself as she contemplated her choices. On one hand, she could return to the _dolt_ and travel with her. On the other hand, she could continue searching for an _actual_ partner.

Fate decided option three, as Marry called out to her. "Ah! M-miss Schnee!"

Weiss flinched before stepping out of the undergrowth. "Greetings."

"Ah, Weiss, you don't mind if I call you Weiss, do you?"

"I… I suppose not," she huffed as she crossed her arms.

"Anyways, Weiss, do you have a partner?"

"No." The reply came out short and clipped.

Seto and Marry narrowed their eyes. "Who's your partner, Weiss?" Seto reiterated, his yellow eyes gazing at her. "And don't say no, I know you're lying. You don't grow up with a consistent liar without learning the signs."

Weiss sighed. She didn't know why she was trusting him so much. " _Ruby_."

Marry blinked. "A-ah, Miss Ruby? She's not that bad…"

"She _is_ that bad!" Weiss burst out. "She's childish, idiotic, and a complete klutz! I'm surprised she even managed to get to Beacon!"

"Well, I'm sure there's a reason," Seto said. "After all, the professors aren't stupid. How 'bout you just give her a chance? It's only been one day," he reasoned.

Weiss groaned. "I don't want someone like _her_ on my team!" she hissed. "She'll only bring me down!"

"If that's what you truly believe, then fine," Seto said. "But you should at least give her a chance. You haven't even seen her fight yet, have you?" Weiss nodded. "Before you go and judge her, you should learn as much as possible about her. Both her good qualities and her bad ones."

"S-Seto's right!" Marry piped up. "E-everyone has their good and bad qualities! Since you're now partners, you should work to compensate for Miss Ruby's bad qualities while e-enhancing her good ones!"

Just then, faint cries of "Weeiiiiss?" and "Where are you, Weiss?" echoed in the forest. Seto smiled at this and turned to Weiss.

"It seems Ruby is quite dedicated to completing initiation properly," he stated. "That's one good quality. It might take a while, but you'll surely understand who she is soon. Besides," he added. "I'm pretty sure the professors are monitoring us right now."

Weiss's face flushed scarlet. "F-fine then!" she snapped. "I'll go back now!" she huffed as she stomped away. Seto and Marry exchanged smiles.

"By the way, North is that way!" Seto called while pointing his finger.

"I knew that!" was Weiss's reply.

* * *

Shintaro groaned to himself as he stared down at an Ursa. "This world really fucking hates me, doesn't it," he muttered as he ducked under the Ursa's strike and fired. The shot sent the Ursa reeling back, letting Shintaro take aim and empty five more rounds into its neck. A final shot severed its head as the body slumped on the ground. Rapid gunfire from behind drew his attention to another Ursa being pummeled by a familiar pigtailed girl.

"You really need to pay attention to your surroundings," the girl said as she looked at him. "Ma~ster~"

"...This world _really_ fucking hates me," he sighed as he finished the stray Ursa with a single shot.

"But of course!" Takane grinned. "Your luck has always sucked!"

* * *

 **A/N: On a topic _completely_ unrelated to initiation, what should I do for volumes 1 and 2? Obviously we need to do character building and stuff like that, but the true premise of the story doesn't happen until Vol. 3, similar to how in RWBY, the true climax doesn't happen until that volume. **

**Tl;dr, shit doesn't go down until much later. I know for a fact that I'm _probably_ going to skip most of Vol. 2 (because 1. I'm lazy and 2. it doesn't really involve them that much. Will probably put more original content in place of that tho).**

 **Repeating that I'm still taking weapon name suggestions! And I'm still curious as to which Kagepro songs you believe would be the RWBY cast's favorites (they'll be brought up in conversations and etc.)**

 **I am writing these chappies in advance, which is why I'm asking these questions.**

 **Anyways, what do you think of the partners so far? Sorry ShinTaka fans, but HaruTaka is canon in this story even though the partners are like this. Please follow, favorite, and most importantly, review! Next up: Part 2!**


	5. Initiation Pt 2

**A/N: I'm not gonna deny, this chapter was slightly aggravating. So much fighting to write! I managed to cut out most of the canon tho, so there's that. Speaking of canon...**

 **Questions of the day: do you want more or less canon within the story? Would you rather I go through Vol. 1 with added 'slice of life' scenes or barrel straight to the meat of the story? Comment down below!**

 **Without further ado, Crossing Fate!**

* * *

"What was that?! That should've been _easy_!" Ruby cried as they finished running away from a pack of Beowolves.

"Well perhaps if you had exercised even the _slightest_ amount of caution with the placement of your strikes, I wouldn't have set the _forest_ on _fire_!" Weiss yelled.

Ruby scoffed at her. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?!"

"I'm just surprised that someone who talked so _much_ would communicate so _little_ during an encounter!"

"I'm _sorry_ that you need my help to win a fight!" Ruby sneered. "I'm just _fine_ on my own!"

"Well, congratulations on being the strongest _child_ to _sneak_ your way into Beacon. Bravo." She turned to stalk away. Over her shoulder she called, "Seto had said to try and get to know you, and it seems as though I shouldn't have bothered trying."

Ruby screeched in frustration and chopped off a tree before following her. Then her words registered in her mind. _Seto actually said that? Not only that, but she actually listened to him?_ She frowned. _Maybe I shouldn't have been such a jerk to Weiss… Nope. She deserves it. And I won't think any other way,_ she decided.

* * *

Ayano sighed to herself as she paced up and down the clearing. "It was… this way! ...No, no, this way! Er… no, it's _this_ way! Definitely this way! ...Did I pass it or something…?" Ayano groaned to herself as she flopped on the ground. "...Why did this happen to me…?"

"Oi, get up already. Just because you're lost doesn't mean you're helpless."

"Shintaro!" Ayano cheered, bouncing right back up. "Wait, does this mean we're partners?"

"Sorry, Ayano, but I already took that spot," Takane said as she emerged from the undergrowth.

"She'll let you have Haruka though," Shintaro piped up.

"S-shut up!" Takane shouted as she flailed her arms, a bright blush on her face.

Ayano laughed and clasped her hands together. "Don't worry, Takane! I won't steal Haruka away from you," she giggled.

"Ayaanooooo!" she yelled. "Cut! It! Out! Just because he's my boyfriend now doesn't mean you guys have to tease me relentlessly about it!" Her face turned sad as she continued. "Still… I never would have thought that I'd be able to see him again, much less confess to him. We really do have to thank Ms. Azami, don't we…?" The mood turned dark as they thought about their past lives.

"Well!" Ayano said, clapping her hands together. "No use dwelling on that; we'll attract Grimm! Hopefully we'll be able to find some of our other friends as well."

"And you a partner," Takane smirked.

"This is such a pain…" Shintaro grumbled as the three of them headed on their way.

* * *

Seto pulled out his compass and rechecked their direction before turning to Marry. "Do you think it's possible to miss it?"

"W-well… wouldn't the professors make sure that everyone can find it?"

Seto hummed to himself. "I suppose. Then again, this _is_ a test to see if we can make it into the biggest school in Vale."

Marry twiddled her fingers together. "I'm getting nervous just thinking about it… all the _testing_ …!" She pulled her hood over her head and shivered.

"Oi, oi, Marry, you're plenty strong!" he reassured. "You made it to initiation, right? That's a feat in and of itself! So don't worry. Besides, you've got all of us to help you!" He grinned as he stared determinedly ahead. "Now then… shall we keep going?"

"Onwards!" Marry squeaked, not noticing the slight rustling of the bushes behind her.

* * *

Kido groaned as she burst out into the clearing, her blade coated with evaporating Grimm guts.

 _I'm already at the ruins and I_ still _haven't found Kano!_ she thought as she deactivated her Semblance.

"Gah!" someone shrieked.

"Oh! I'm really sorry," she apologized as she turned to face the victim she had startled. She was greeted with lilac eyes and a mess of blonde hair. "Your name is… Yang, right?"

Yang blinked. "That's me! By the way, how did you do that? Is your Semblance teleportation or something?"

Kido shook her head. "Invisibility… of a sort." She glanced around to find the black-haired girl from earlier. "Hey there."

"Kido was it?" Blake asked. "I don't see Kano with you."

Which reminded her of her current problem. She grimaced as she replied, "Couldn't find him anywhere. Then again, this forest _is_ pretty big…" She sighed as she continued. "But there's always the problem of him being paired with someone else… if it was anyone in the Blindfold gang I wouldn't worry, but…"

"Whoa, whoa, wait. Hold up. Blindfold gang?"

"I'll tell you about it later," Kido said with warmth in her voice. "At any rate, I know you that all you need to do is go to the cliff, but can you help me look for him?" She broke off into a growl. "If he's goofing off…" Her eyes promised a world of pain.

"Well, sure-" Just then, they heard a distant scream.

"Some girl's in trouble!" Yang exclaimed. "Did you guys hear that?"

Kido's eyes widened. She recognized that voice. "Ayano!" Without waiting for the others, she dashed in the direction of the scream.

* * *

 _Earlier…_

The last Grimm of the Beowolf pack whined pitifully as Ayano chopped it into pieces with her chain whip.

"You finished up there?" she asked Shintaro, who leaped down from the branch he was on.

"Jeez, why are you making me do all of the work…" he muttered. "I didn't spy any Grimm, so we're good for now."

"Anything else to note?"

"There's a pretty big cave a little to the northeast," he said. "Probably a Grimm's den. We'll have to skirt around it. Hopefully we won't run into its resident."

"How big do you think it is?" Takane asked.

Shintaro shivered. "It was medium-sized when I saw it, which means it's probably as large as the gang's old hideout."

"Ooh, yeah, that's big." The threesome continued walking, footsteps muffled in the soft grass. The bushes next to them shuddered.

Shintaro's eyes narrowed. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Be on your guard," Shintaro said, right as a shadow flickered nearby.

Ayano crept closer to him. "T-this is creepy."

"'Course it is, we're fighting monsters," Takane snorted, but her voice seemed uneasy.

Another shadow darted through the undergrowth.

Shintaro cocked his gun and pulled it closer to him. Takane reloaded her guns and flipped them in her hands.

The rustling in the bushes grew more and more frequent. Now all three of them could see figures darting through the trees and scampering on the ground.

Suddenly, the bushes burst open as a skunk-like Grimm leapt out with fangs bared.

"AYANO!"

Ayano whipped around and screamed.

* * *

"Did you hear that?!" Jaune gasped.

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed. "Yes. However, there isn't much we can do. For one, we don't know who it is. For another, this is initiation. We have our own problems to worry about," she sighed. "Although if they're here, I'm sure they'll be able to handle themselves.."

"But-"

"Just think of it like a tournament bracket," Pyrrha interrupted. "It helps. For me, at least." They looked up to find a cave with primitive drawings scratched on the surface.

"You think this is it?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha shrugged and followed him in.

* * *

"Kido?" Blake called as she dashed away.

"You think we should follow her?"

Blake didn't reply. Her faunus senses were picking up on something falling… straight towards them. She glanced upward. "Yang?"

"What is it?"

She pointed to the sky.

Yang followed her finger and gasped. "Ruby?!"

"Heads uuuuuuuuuuup!" she cried. Out of nowhere, another projectile slammed into her and sent them both flying into the trees.

"...Did your sister just fall from the sky?"

"Uh…"

An Ursa roared as it crashed through the treeline, flailing wildly before collapsing on the ground.

"Aww, it's broken!" a girl whimpered as she bounced off the Grimm.

"Nora?" a panting boy began. "...Don't ever do that again." He looked up when there was no answer. "Nora?"

"I'm queen of the castle~! I'm queen of the castle~!" the orange-haired girl sang while holding a golden rook.

"NORA!"

"Coming, Ren!" she giggled as she skipped over to him.

"Did that girl just ride on an Ursa?"

"I-"

A Deathstalker screeched as its pincers cut through the trees, a red-haired girl and a blond-haired boy speeding away as they ducked and rolled away from the attacks. The blond stumbled, but the redhead pulled him up and dragged him along.

"Jump!" she cried and they narrowly missed getting slammed by those claws.

"Did those two just run all the way here with a Deathstalker on their tail?" She was breaking records for rhetorical questions.

"Aaaaaargh, I can't _TAKE_ IT ANYMORE! COULD EVERYONE JUST CHILL OUT FOR _TWO SECONDS_ BEFORE SOMETHING _CRAZY_ HAPPENS AGAIN?!"

Crickets chirped in the background.

"Whew! That was some pretty impressive show you put on there!" There was a _thud_ as another blond-haired boy landed on the ground. Blake involuntarily stiffened. _Kano…_

"...Were you the one who slammed into Ruby?" Yang asked.

"The one and only! Gee, that Manticore sure was pissed! It didn't have to throw me so far!"

Blake's mind blanked for a second. _MANTICORE?!_ "...Kido's been looking for you."

"I know she has! Still, it's nice to see that she's looking out for me. Although… her wrath will probably be much, much worse than the Manticore's." He turned back to the Grimm. "Speaking of the Manticore… I should probably go and take care of that thing! See ya!" He waved at them as he jogged away, the same grin still on his face.

They were silent until Ruby ran up to them. "Yang!"

"Ruby?!"

"Nora!" the orange-haired girl interrupted.

"Er… anyway, um, Yang," Ruby said as she pointed up.

A Nevermore screeched as Weiss hung onto its claw. "How could you leave me here?!" she screamed.

"I _said_ to jump," Ruby called.

"She's gonna fall," Blake deadpanned.

"She'll be fine."

"She's falling," Ren stated. He looked around. "Is anyone going to catch her?"

Awkward silence.

"Ooh, ooh, I'll do it!" Nora called as she ran forward and caught her. Immediately after, Jaune and Pyrrha flopped to the ground in front of them.

"Great! The gang's all here! Now we can all die together!" Yang chirped.

* * *

"AYANO!" Shintaro roared.

Ayano whipped around and screamed as she stared straight into the Grimm's mouth.

Bullet-hail tore through the Grimm and knocked it aside as Takane pulled the triggers of her guns. "You alright?!" Takane shouted over the constant firing.

Ayano gripped her heart, her face freezing into an expression of shock and fear. "...I'm alright!" she called weakly. "...Just… really fucking surprised." Her gaze morphed into one of determination as she got up and cracked her whip. "Let's do this!"

 _Tch, why am I so useless in these kinds of situations?_ Shintaro thought as he reloaded his rifle. "It's a Fangoose!" he called out loud. "They're smaller than most other Grimm, but faster and deadlier. Judging by the amount of armor, I'd say it's an older one."

"Then why the hell is it hunting us?!" Takane growled as she fired at it. Those words triggered something in Shintaro's memory.

"Mongooses hunt snakes," he answered grimly.

"Fuck," was Takane's answer as Ayano darted forward and lashed out with her whip before leaping back.

"Cover me!" she called as she charged at the Grimm once again. Gunfire peppered the Fangoose while Ayano slashed it once, twice, twenty times before leaping into a pirouette and ending it with a final downstrike. A faint rustle from behind was the only warning they got before another Fangoose barreled towards Shintaro.

His eyes widened as he shifted his rifle into a crescent moon knife and blocked the strike. The resulting force sent him crashing into the tree, struggling to hold back the Fangoose.

"Shintaro!" the others called, but they were forced to dodge the other Fangoose's attacks.

Shintaro gritted his teeth as his weapon grated against the Grimm's claws. _Nonono, not like this, NOT LIKE THIS…!_

The knife inched closer and closer.

"SHINTARO KISARAGI, IF YOU DIE LIKE THIS I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" Ayano roared as she forced back her own Fangoose.

"Not planning to!" Shintaro managed to gasp, but his muscles were failing. He squeezed his eyes shut and pushed harder.

A slamming sound made him open his eyes again and stare at the newcomer that effortlessly knocked away the Grimm. When he saw who it was, he smirked.

"Nice of you to join the party, Haruka."

"I'm just glad I got here in time," Haruka smiled as his eyes blazed red. He turned his gaze to Ayano and they locked eyes.

"You ready to do this, partner?" Ayano asked.

"Yeah. These Grimm are going to pay!" he said as he twirled around his greatsword.

* * *

Kido panted as she leaped across tree branches. Gunfire from behind alerted her to another person's presence swiftly catching up to her as broken branches crashed behind them.

"Yo!" Kano huffed as he joined her, the two of them locking eyes. "You heard her, right?"

"Yes. Where were you?" she demanded as she skipped across another branch.

"Fighting a Manticore. I'm pretty sure it's really pissed right now."

"And you're telling me this because-"

"-I have a feeling that the Manticore will be meeting our friends soon," he grimaced, his normal smile gone without a trace. "Seto and Marry were with me when we ran into it. And if that scream from Ayano is anything to go by, they've encountered opposition stronger than normal."

Kido nodded as they burst out of the trees. The Manticore was right underneath them. Surprise flicked on Kido's face, but she immediately aimed her sword down, fired, and propelled herself straight into the Grimm's neck.

"Kido?!" she heard as she withdrew her sword and leaped off, leaving the Manticore to screech and flail.

"Don't forget about me!" Kano grinned as he shot out from above, pointing his daggers and firing rapidly at the Grimm before flipping around and landing on the floor.

"Seto, Marry, good to see you too." She glanced around her. "We've never fought a Manticore, have we?" She eyed the armor on it. "Luckily it seems fairly young, otherwise that attack just now wouldn't have hit."

"And it would probably be bigger too," Seto grimaced. The Manticore howled and raised its bat-like wings before leaping into the air.

"Marry!" Kido ordered.

"R-right!" she called as she raised her bow and fired. Lances of pink aura whizzed by and forced it to land once again.

Kido hissed as she tried to get in closer to deal a strike. _With this closed in space, the Manticore can't take off as well, but we can't maneuver around its strikes either. If we move to open ground… the Manticore will be given free reign of the skies… but…_

"Kano!" she called. "Stay here or move out?"

She was never given an answer, as four people crashed out of the trees with two ferret-like Grimm at their heels.

"Incoming!" Takane screamed as she flipped and fired. The group of eight leaped clear of the Fangooses, which slinked around the Manticore's feet and took their place beside it.

"Shit," Shintaro muttered. "This area's too closed off… You guys pissed off a _Manticore_?!"

Kano and Seto chuckled uneasily while Marry avoided their gaze.

"...Get to open ground!" Ayano yelled as they turned tail and ran.

* * *

Ruby continuously screamed as she ran up the cliffside and severed the Nevermore's head clean off.

"...Wow," Jaune said. The wind blew gently through Ruby's cloak as she stared down at the others.

"...Well! That was a thing!" Yang commented.

Blake frowned and turned back. Before, she was too caught up in the craziness of the Deathstalker and the Nevermore chasing after them, but now, she couldn't help but worry about Kido and Marry.

 _It's possible that they came to the ruins after we left, but I can't help but wonder… where are they?_

* * *

 **{Play Blindfold Gang's Theme: Daze}**

Takane dived under the Fangoose's claws and shot forward, weaving through the trees and hoping that they were actually moving out of the forest instead of heading deeper into it.

"Keep moving!" Ayano cried as she whisked her weapon around her and cut down the trees in front of her.

Takane turned and fired at the charging Grimm as she leaped back. _How much longer do we have to keep this up?_

Haruka was at the front of the fleeing group, clearing the path for the rest to escape. His eyes had long since reverted to their original color, whereas Kido's, Seto's, Marry's, Ayano's, and Shintaro's eyes were burning a bright red.

"Approaching Grimm at one o'clock!" Seto called.

"Done," Shintaro grunted as he fired in that direction. "Haruka, your left!"

An Ursa was bludgeoned not even a second later. "Behind you, Takane!"

She instinctively ducked and allowed the Fangoose to leap over her. Her close proximity to the Grimm made her a little nervous, but she knew that it was part of her role to distract them.

Not one to waste an opportunity, Kido slammed her blade into the Grimm and sent it flying back to the Manticore.

 _If only the Manticore would eat the other Grimm,_ she thought as she raced forward once again.

"We're reaching the end of a cliff!" Shintaro yelled as he peered through his scope. "Jump on my mark!"

"Are you serious?!" Takane groaned as she went back to firing at the Grimm.

"Haruka, get ready!" Ayano called.

"MARK!"

The eight of them pushed off and leaped into the air, the Fangooses diving after them. The Manticore, on the other hand, skidded to a stop near the edge before lifting its wings and leaping after them.

"This is _way_ too steep!" Takane screeched as she spun in midair and peppered the sky with gunfire.

Kido grunted her agreement and engaged in an aerial battle with one of the Fangooses. Seto swung his halberd at the remaining Fangoose. The eight of them continued to fall as the Manticore swooped towards them.

Takane cursed and blasted her guns into the Manticore's face while Marry pulled back the string of her bow and fired. The Grimm roared as it flipped away.

"Hit the ground!" Ayano yelled.

Haruka's eyes flared red as he raised a fist and smashed it down. The resulting shockwave sent everyone in the vicinity to a temporary halt before landing in the crater that he created.

"Shin, get in position!" Ayano ordered as the Blindfold gang engaged the Grimm.

* * *

The eight of them were returning back to the cliffs when something crashed on the ground in front of them. A lion's roar echoed as eight figures danced and twirled around three Grimm.

"Kido?!" Blake gasped when she recognized one of the figures.

"Stay out of this!" she called back before dodging a strike.

"Is that a _MANTICORE_?!" Yang screeched as she pointed at the lion now taking flight with giant bat-like wings.

"We have to help them!" Ruby cried. Just then, one of the figures was batted out of the sky and landed with a crunch at their feet.

"Shit," the boy said as he spat out blood.

"Shintaro?!" Jaune stared at the bruised and battered boy in front of him. There were claw marks and scratches racing over his body. _Why didn't his aura heal him?_

"I'm saving my aura for the more severe wounds," he answered, his eyes blazing red. "Like that one just now," he grimaced. "Listen, you guys _stay out of this._ It's our problem, and we'll deal with it."

"But-"

"I'm _fine_ ," he growled. "Kano's probably worse off, though he's hiding his wounds _as usual_." He glanced at the various weapons being drawn and sighed.

"Fine, there's one thing you can help me with." Everyone perked up at this. "Get me to the top of that cliff."

"Just that?" Ruby fretted. "We can do more, we can-!"

"Our entire plan revolves around this," Shintaro cut in. "Get me up there, and the battle is as good as won. I already told you, _we can handle this._ " He said it with so much conviction that the others couldn't help but listen.

"...If you're so sure, buster," Yang sighed as she cocked her gauntlets.

"Just stay out of this, and we'll be fine," Shintaro reminded. "If you try to jump in, the coordination will be shot to hell and they'll die."

"Blunt, much?"

"As long as you get the message," he said as he rushed forward.

* * *

Kido and Kano weaved around the Fangoose, who did the same in turn.

"This is going nowhere," Kano grunted as she dodged another strike.

"It's to be expected," Kido stated as she rolled and leaped back. "Fangooses are well known for being extremely agile for a Grimm, not to mention that this one seems fairly old as well." She attempted to strike out but had her attack redirected. Kano quickly forced the Grimm back with his gun daggers.

 _I hope the others are doing better than we are,_ Kido grimaced as she went back to poking at the Fangoose.

* * *

Seto panted as he swung his halberd for the millionth time. The Fangoose dodged yet again and raced to kill him. Luckily, Marry's arrows forced it back, where it paced in front of them. He huffed as he chanced a look back at Marry. She was tiring. They both were, but she was the one who had used the most aura.

He shifted his position and glared at the Fangoose. They just needed to keep distracting it until Shintaro came through.

* * *

Ayano twirled and spun as she whipped at the Manticore before landing in a crouch. Takane leaped over her and fired her shotguns, which were easily evaded by the Grimm. It made to dive-bomb them, but Haruka fired another one of his Dust grenades and sent it careening back.

"How much longer?" Takane gasped as Haruka reloaded his sword-turned-barrel cannon.

Ayano looked over at the cliff and smiled. "Looks like he's finally got his act together."

* * *

Shintaro groaned as he looked at the setup. "I'm going to die."

"You're the one who asked us for help!" Nora chirped.

"And you were the ones who insisted!" He sighed. _There's no time to waste._ "Let's go."

He ran up and leaped towards Nora, who was perched on Pyrrha's shield held up by both Pyrrha and Jaune. Nora giggled manically as she wrapped an arm around him.

"NOW!" Pyrrha yelled as she and Jaune pushed off.

Nora pulled the trigger and blasted them sky-high, where Blake's makeshift slingshot was embedded into the cliff.

"I can't believe we're doing this again," Weiss groaned as she formed a glyph high above her and pulled the two towards her.

"I can't believe we're doing this at all," he grumbled. "Do you see how close the cliff wall is? That's almost a perfectly vertical shot!"

"Do you _not_ trust me?!" she shouted indignantly.

"I do!" Nora called.

"Let's just get this over with," he yelled. With that, Weiss released her glyph, sending them rocketing in the air. Nora added an extra grenade blast for good measure. As they rose above the cliff, Nora re-aimed her hammer and sent them tumbling on the grass.

"...That actually worked without a horrible death," Shintaro said as he ran back to the cliff's edge and reloaded his rifle. Gazing out onto the battle, he could see each and every one of the Grimm. "This is perfect," he said, a grin forming on his face.

* * *

Kido was rolling away from an attack when she heard two shells bury themselves into flesh. The Fangoose reared back and howled before another shot pierced through its underbelly.

Kano grinned. "Looks like our sniper is all set to destroy," he said as he spotted the glint of a sniper scope in the distance.

"Come on!" Kido called as she scrambled to her feet. "We have a Manticore to slay."

* * *

Marry was flinging arrow after arrow at the Fangoose, her attacks constantly being evaded with twists and turns. The Fangoose suddenly lunged at her, completely ignoring Seto nearby.

"Marry!"

She shrieked and raised her bow to defend herself when a bullet buried itself into the Fangoose's forehead.

Seto didn't let the distraction go to waste as he raised his halberd and dug the blade into its side. He pulled it out and fired a shot into its neck, which then exploded and beheaded the Grimm.

"Just to be sure," he said at Marry's surprised look. "Now, let's go! We have to help the others."

* * *

Ayano whipped her blades across the Manticore and smiled as four pairs of footsteps came to a halt behind her. "About time! We're going with #2-0-7, with the rest of us providing support. Kido, I'm leaving you in charge."

"Right," Kido said as she stepped forward. "4 and 9, I want you in the back! 6, 2, distract it! 30, with me!" she ordered as she raced forward. Affirmative calls rang out as they all sprang into action.

Kano flung both daggers at the Manticore as Ayano leaped into the air, flinging her whip all around her and at the beast. Haruka cocked his cannon and blasted multiple grenades around the Grimm while Marry aimed her arrows to sail past the wings. An occasional faint shotgun blast echoed as bullets would sporadically bury themselves within the Grimm.

"This is going to be tough," Kido muttered as she slashed at the paws. Seto came from behind to block a hefty blow coming in from her blind spot. A slash and the monster roared with pain, the two leaping back as they were joined by a yellow-eyed boy.

"Pay attention more to your surroundings," he grinned.

Kido grunted. "Think you can take out the hind paws?" she asked Seto, completely ignoring Kano. He nodded and went off. Soon enough, gunfire rang out, along with the occasional shotgun blast and elemental effect mixed in.

"I'm so wounded, Kido," Kano said with false hurt.

"Shut it. If you have time to tease then take out the wings."

"Roger, Commander~!" he said before firing his gauntlets straight at the Manticore and pulling himself away.

"That reckless idiot," Kido sighed before rocketing herself up and slicing through another of the Manticore's paws. It reared once again, but a bullet tore through its remaining paw and caused it to flare its wings out. Kano and Takane immediately took this chance to obliterate the wings, one ridden with bullet holes while the other messily sliced through. The Grimm screeched as it crashed to the ground. It attempted to get up, but thudded to the ground once again, courtesy of its ruined feet.

Ayano and Seto darted forth and buried two Dust crystals within the flesh of the Manticore. "Go, go!" Seto hollered as they both spun on their heels and fled.

 _"Ready!"_ Ayano telepathed to Shintaro while they all dove for cover.

The entire Grimm instantaneously exploded as it formed a mushroom cloud, much like a mini nuclear bomb. All seven initiates braced themselves against the howling winds, screwing their eyes shut against the blinding light of the explosion. As soon as it ceased, they turned to look at their result.

The Manticore's corpse was heavily burnt and decayed.

"Well," Ayano began as she turned to the others, eyes burning a bright red. "Mission accomplished!"

 **{End Daze}**

* * *

Ruby, Jaune, and their gang gaped at the ginormous explosion fading away. "...Shintaro did that?" Ruby finally managed to ask.

Yang whistled. "Damn. Never knew he packed so much power. I'll have to ask him to teach me that."

Weiss blinked with surprise. _He had to have used Dust, but to have created an explosion that big…?! He must have amazing control over his aura! Not to mention the fact that his other comrades had to have held off the Manticore long enough for him to set it up! Just how strong are these people?_

* * *

Ozpin and Glynda stared at the distant explosion. The very fact that eight people managed to take out two older Fangooses and a young Manticore would startle many people, not to mention that those eight people were mere initiates at a huntsmen academy.

 _The sheer power behind that explosion is enough to make me believe that they're highly experienced in using Dust and aura,_ Glynda thought. _Those Dust crystals that Ms. Tateyama and Mr. Seto used were fire and wind, while Mr. Kisaragi used a Dust round charged with earth and hints of lightning Dust to react with the other crystals… To be able to think of that while in battle was impressive, not to mention the communication between them._

Ozpin was having similar thoughts. _It seems that while Mr. Kisaragi may not be the most athletic, he's more than capable of applying his theory out on the field, along with his excellent sniper skills. Ayano may not seem impressive, but she's certainly capable of holding her own and guiding the rest of her team. All eight of them cover for their friends' weaknesses. This is clearly the mark of an experienced team._

* * *

Seto blinked and looked at the others as he realized something. "Hey… did any of us ever got to pick a relic?"

The eight of them stared at each other dumbly. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" Takane screeched. "We still have to go all the way there and _come back_!"

"What a drag," Shintaro muttered, having already joined them.

* * *

Ozpin stood at the front of the stage, a holographic screen behind him. "Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward you will work together as team CRDL (cardinal). Lead by… Cardin Winchester."

The audience clapped as the newly formed team CRDL walked off and four more people walked on. "Kousuke Seto. Marry Kozakura. Tsubomi Kido. Shuuya Kano. The four of you retrieved the black rook pieces. From this day forward you will work together as team TKSM (chasm). Lead by… Tsubomi Kido."

The girl in question blinked dumbly.

"Congrats, Kido!" Ayano squealed from the crowd.

"Wow, Kido~, I knew you could do it!" Kano teased. "Although your letter is silent… guess you can just be the 'Invisible Leader', eh?"

Kido merely glared at him from under her hood while Ozpin smiled internally. _There was no question about who was going to be the leader of this team. It was clear from the beginning that Ms. Kido was the one who led their little 'gang' as they call it while they traveled around Remnant. I'm sure she'll continue doing great things._

Team TKSM stepped off the stage as the next four people stepped up. "Takane Enomoto. Haruka Kokonose. Ayano Tateyama. Shintaro Kisaragi." There were a few murmurs at the last word. "The four of you retrieved the black queen pieces. From now on you will be working together as team ASTH (aster). Lead by… Ayano Tateyama."

"Me?!" she squeaked. Shintaro rolled his eyes and nudged her.

"You'll be fine," he muttered.

"Yeah, you're the most qualified of all of us!" Takane grinned. Ozpin couldn't help but agree. _She may not be the most talented, but it was quite clear that she was the center of the group, especially emotionally. All eight of them listened to her commands without question, even when they seemed simple. I hope that her leadership abilities will bloom now that she's been physically announced as a leader._

The next four stepped on the stage. "Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward you will work together as… team JNPR (juniper). Lead by… Jaune Arc."

"H-huh? Lead by…?"

"Congratulations, young man." _Even though you faked your transcripts, I can sense the beginnings of a great leader in you. I hope you will hone your abilities until you become a fine huntsman._

"And finally," he said as the last four initiates stepped onstage. "Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day onward you will work together as team RWBY (ruby). Lead by… Ruby Rose."

"Oh, I'm so _proud_ of you!" Yang said as she hugged Ruby.

 _It looks like things are shaping up to be an… interesting year,_ he thought as he stared up at the moon in the window.

* * *

 **A/N: My dear Ozpin, you have no idea XD**

 **With that, Initiation is done! Please comment on any scenarios that you want to see happen (in terms of slice of life; I need to think of more scenes haha -v-;).**

 **Speaking of slice of life, how long do you want me to spend on the 'getting to know you' parts? (aka. Vol 1) To be honest I'm not all that great at thinking up of new slice of life styled scenarios for the characters to get to know each other (I've got this one lunch scene but that's about it, everything else is rooted and building off of canon). Besides, some people may want to skip canon and go straight to the meat of the story (aka what the summary is hinting at (I think everyone reading this has at least some _Semblance_ of what it may be (haha, pun, haha)).**

 **Did you like my choice for the Blindfold Gang's theme song? It's _not_ Children Record, believe it or not! I already have that reserved for a certain someone XD (*the aforementioned theme songs are just for fun and don't necessarily have to be played with the story. In fact, it's probably best if you don't, since they don't sync up at all XD)**

 **At any rate, please follow/favorite, and review! (In other words, read, rate, and review o3o). Next up: The Badge and the Burden!**

 **Edit 2/5/2017: Fixed Ren's name**


	6. The Badge and the Burden

**A/N: If you guys could suggest various scenarios in your reviews then I would be grateful -u-; I'm not really all that good at thinking of ideas from nothing (aka. slice of life scenarios). I have plenty of crossover ideas, but not really original ones so yeah (haha rip)**

* * *

Kido pulled her hair back into her regular ponytail before slipping her necklace on and throwing her standard hoodie over her school outfit.

"You sure it's wise to do that?" Kano asked as he came up next to her.

"You're doing it too," she pointed out. Kano's own black hoodie was pulled over his own school outfit, giving him the appearance of a somewhat shady boy. "Ugh, I hate skirts," she growled as she glared at herself in the mirror.

"Still," Seto mused. "School uniforms. I thought I'd never see the day." He was the only one not wearing any sort of hoodie, although he still wore the identical amulet around his neck.

"I-I'm nervous," Marry stammered as she pulled her hood over her head. Her own outfit had white stockings as opposed to Kido's black socks, and she was wearing both her hood and her necklace in addition to the school's standard.

Seto ruffled her hair, although he didn't tell her to quit worrying. They were all nervous. It was the first time they had even gone to school since they were six. Ever since they got their eye powers, they didn't even attempt to fit in with the other kids. They still received education, but it was all through Mrs. Tateyama's tutoring. Marry never even went to a normal school, having been isolated within her tower-like home because she was part medusa.

"Well," he eventually sighed. "Let's go."

* * *

Ayano was nervous. She liked to think that it was perfectly understandable that she was nervous, but to be honest, she had no idea what she was doing.

"Classes are at nine," Shintaro reminded. She smiled gratefully at him before going back to fidgeting with her uniform. The other members of her team were finishing up their own last-minute touches to their room before they would head to class. It had been five years since they all last went to school, two in their original world and three in the world of Remnant.

She gripped her scarf tightly in apprehension. _I'm really,_ really _glad that Shin is here with me… but why wasn't he named leader?! I'm not cut out for this! I'm leading a team?! I'm the youngest one here! Takane and Haruka are a full year ahead of me! What in the world was the headmaster thinking?!_

"Calm down, Ayano," Takane said, snapping her out of her revere.

"You'll be fine," Haruka added with a smile. Shintaro merely stared at her.

"...Right!" she said, her face furrowing into a determined frown. "I'll be fine! Now, to class!"

"To class!" the others repeated with varying amounts of enthusiasm as they followed her out the door.

* * *

Team RWBY and JNPR just barely made it to their seats before the bell rang.

"Wonder what held them up?" Kano asked from his seat next to Kido. She shrugged.

"Monsters! Deeemons. Prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names. But I merely refer to them as prey. Hahaha!"

 _Um…_ were the collective thoughts of ASTH and TKSM.

"Er… and you shall too, once you graduate from this prestigious academy! Now as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely _teeming_ with creatures that would love nothing more than to _tear_ you to pieces. And that's where we come in." He stopped his pacing. "Huntsmen! Huntresses!" He clicked his tongue at Yang, who cringed nervously and gave him a look. "Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves. From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"

"Eeyyyyap!" someone cheered, earning the stares of everyone else in the room. He sank into his seat slowly.

"Individuals who have sworn…" Ayano muttered as she wrote that down.

"That is what you are training to become. But first, a story. A tale of a young, handsome man… me! When I was a boy…"

Kido grimaced as the professor droned on and on. It seemed _immensely_ egotistical for a professor, but she could spy the hidden messages within the story. That didn't mean she had to enjoy it. She painstakingly started jotting down the more notable and informational parts of the story, like certain techniques and strategies. Ayano was doing the same thing, while Takane had fallen asleep. Shintaro was staring blankly ahead, and Marry blinked blearily as she tried to pay attention (read: not fall asleep).

She elbowed Kano as he began doing some stupid thing. What it was, she didn't want to know.

Giggles and snorts from team RWBY caused the professor to clear his throat. "In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity, and my head held high, celebrated as a hero." He took a bow, to which there was no applause. "The moral of the story? A true huntsmen must be honorable. A true huntsmen must be dependable. A true huntsmen must be strategic, well-educated, and wise."

Kido inwardly sighed with relief. _Thank god it's over._ Despite her efforts, she was only an average learner with mediocre grades. At least, when she was last in school.

Kano suddenly nudged her and pointed at Weiss. She followed her gaze to find the white-haired girl (Weiss, if she remembered correctly) looking about ready to burst.

"Now, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

"I do, sir!" Weiss burst out, only just managing to keep herself from yelling.

"Well then, let's find out!" He gestured to a rattling cage. "Step forward, and meet your opponent."

* * *

"Gooo Weiss!" Yang cried.

"Fight well!" Blake called.

"Represent teeeam RWBY!"

"Ruby!" Weiss snapped. "I'm _trying_ to concentrate!"

 _What's her deal?_ Kano wondered.

"Alright. Let the match… begin!"

The cage slammed open and a Boarbatusk charged straight at her. Weiss quickly slashed at it before darting to the side. The Grimm merely glared at her, the attack having no effect.

"Haha, wasn't expecting _that_ were you?" the professor commented.

Weiss flew forth and attempted to strike at it once again, only to have her weapon locked within the Grimm's tusks.

"Bold, new approach! I like it!"

 _But it's also incredibly stupid,_ Kano couldn't help but remark. _Shintaro's the brainiac of the group, but even_ I _know that charging a Boarbatusk head on is reckless and dumb._

"Come on, Weiss, show it who's boss!"

The white-haired girl turned to glare at her only to have her weapon knocked out of her grasp.

"Now, what will you do without your weapon?"

Weiss narrowly dodged another one of the Boarbatusk's attacks and raced to her weapon.

"Weiss! Go for its belly! There's no armor undernea-"

"Stop telling me what to do!" she yelled. The Boarbatusk growled and leaped into a spin dash, barreling straight towards Weiss. She summoned a blue glyph and blocked the attack, causing it to fall on its back. She then backflipped in the air and propelled herself forward with another glyph, her weapon piercing straight through the beast's underbelly.

 _You're winded after one Boarbatusk?_ Kano thought as he looked at the panting form of Weiss.

"Bravo! Braavo! It appears that we are indeed in the presence of a _true_ huntress-in-training!"

 _Okay, now he's just being incredibly obvious,_ Kano remarked. _You really can't sugarcoat your words any more than that._

"I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today," the professor continued as Weiss straightened and flourished her sword, head held high. "Be sure to cover the assigned readings and… stay vigilant. Class dismissed!"

* * *

"Looks like that Weiss girl is causing a lot of internal strife!" Kano said as he jogged up next to Kido, the same old perpetual grin on his face.

"I'm not really surprised," Seto sighed. "She seemed like the prideful type when we first met. That, and her upbringing probably didn't do much to help matters."

"Not much we can do," Kido shrugged. "Although, Beacon has a lot more free time than normal schools do," she observed. "Then again I barely remember what a normal school is even like…"

"What should we do until lunch?" Marry asked.

"Well, the only class we have before lunch is combat class so… training?" Seto suggested.

"Training," Kido agreed and they headed outside the building.

* * *

 _Lunch_

"Whaaa _aaaaaaaat_?!" Ruby cried as she slammed her palms on the table. "You _don't name your weapons_?!"

"Heere we go," Yang said as she rolled her eyes.

"Weapons are an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Not naming your weapons is like, is like…!"

"...Are naming weapons really that important?" Kido asked as she glanced at the others. She received shrugs in response.

"Of _course_ naming weapons are important!" Ruby shouted indignantly.

Kano whistled. "I haven't seen someone _this_ passionate about something in a while." This caused Ruby to blush and sputter excuses.

"Well, Ruby, we would name our weapons, but we haven't got the slightest clue on where to begin," Seto laughed good-naturedly.

"By the way," Yang piped up. "Kido, you mentioned something about a 'Blindfold gang'?"

"Oh, right," Kido said, looking minusculely embarrassed. "Well-"

"It's basically a group that we created after the Grimm attack," Ayano interrupted.

"My condolences," Ren cut in, causing some of the others to arc eyebrows.

"Thanks, but it was in the past, so no worries." She clasped her hands together. "Anyways! Everyone who survived the attack ended up banding together. Kido's the commander," she added proudly.

"It's no wonder you were made a leader then," Blake remarked.

"Ah- well- Ayano's the founder," she said, a faint blush the only sign of her being flustered. "She technically created the group when we were all kids, long before the attack."

"Who are the members?" Ruby asked, having stopped her rant a while ago.

"Well there's Kido, Kano, Seto, Marry, and Momo," Takane stated as she counted off with her fingers. "Then there's me, Shintaro, Hibiya, Haruka, Hiyori, and finally, Ayano."

"Did you say Momo?!" Ruby squealed. Even Weiss, Blake, and Yang showed slight surprise, although Blake cringed slightly at the high-pitched sound. "I knew Marry was friends with her but she was a member of your gang?! Oh! Oh! And now that I think about, Shintaro's last name is Kisaragi, and Momo's last name is Kisaragi, so does that mean that you guys are related?!"

Shintaro mumbled, "Noisy fangirls," under his breath, causing Ayano to glare at him.

"Yup to both questions!" Haruka chirped. "Momo's member number five!"

"What number are you?" Yang asked Kido.

"One," she stated as she held up one finger.

"What about you?" Weiss said to Seto.

"Number two," he smiled as he made a peace sign.

"I'm number three~!" Kano grinned as he held up three fingers.

"F-four," Marry stammered.

"I'm six," Takane smirked.

"Seven," Shintaro deadpanned. "Eight is Hibiya."

"I'm nine!" Haruka exclaimed.

"And Hiyori is ten," Ayano finished. RWBY and JNPR look confusedly at her.

"What number are you? Eleven?" Jaune asked.

She shook her head. "I'm number zero," she stated calmly. She didn't bother to elaborate any further.

"Don't ask," Shintaro said, his voice icier than normal.

"It's… a touchy subject," Takane explained.

The two teams nodded. They could understand that. "Oh! Who's Hibiya and Hiyori?" Nora piped up.

"I'm surprised none of you have heard of them," Seto commented. "They often join Momo on some of her tours. Right now they're attending Signal Academy, I think."

"Signal?" Ruby perked up. "That's where me and Yang used to go!"

"Yang and I, Ruby," Weiss corrected.

"Hiyori's also my mom's sister," Ayano noted. "Surprisingly. She's thirteen, by the way."

"And while Momo's the same age as us, she decided to go to Signal as well," Kido added. "Although it seems as though she doesn't come to class very often…"

"Momo's attending Signal?!" Ruby gasped. She promptly fainted. Yang simply moved her into a more comfortable position.

"...Is this normal?" Weiss asked.

"Pretty much," was the reply.

"How long have you known each other?" Jaune spoke up.

"Hm… Well, I've known Kido, Kano, and Seto for a really long time," Ayano said. "I think… around five years?"

"Closer to ten, actually. We were nine when we were adopted by her family," Kido informed.

"Adopted?" Jaune frowned. "What happened to your actual-" He abruptly cut himself off, realizing the answer. "S-sorry-"

"Don't sweat it," Seto smiled. "Like Ayano said, it was in the past."

Ruby finally awoke and blinked as she sat up. "What's going on…?"

"Not much," Kido said as she rose and went to empty her lunch tray. The conversation fell dead as the others finished their lunch.

"Erm, say, what kind of weapons do you guys have?" Ruby asked. "I mean, I know we saw them during Initiation, but…" She hesitantly poked her fingers together as she trailed off.

"Oh! My weapon's a bow that can change into a lance!" Marry exclaimed, looking up.

"A halberd that can also change into a double-ended club and a toolbox," Seto said.

"My weapon is a greatsword that can shift into a barrel cannon," Haruka smiled.

"Ooh! Does it shoot grenades?!" Nora burst out excitedly.

"Ah, no, I don't think so."

"Aww." And with that, she wilted like a flower.

"No wait… Actually, it does!"

"Really?! Awesome!" Nora cried, perking up instantly.

"Mine's a chain whip sword that can also shift into a shield," Ayano piped up. "Although now that I think about it, I haven't been using that function all that often nowadays…"

Kano merely grinned as his eyes burned red. Many of the RWBY and JNPR members shot back as a weapon formed in his hands. "A boomerang dagger with machine gun functions. I've got two of them."

"Is… is that _real_?!" Ruby whispered with awe as she glanced around. She was fairly sure that there weren't any weapons allowed in the cafeteria.

"Nope. Just looks like it. It's an illusion, you see. That's my Semblance, the 'Deceiving Eyes'."

"Whoa, so cool," Ruby gasped.

Blake's eyes narrowed. _How very suspicious._ She then blinked. _But what's the point of revealing your Semblance to someone who you_ obviously _don't trust? Isn't that exactly what you_ don't _want to do?_

Kano dismissed the illusion, his eyes going back to its normal color. "What about you guys?"

"I have my sweetheart Crescent Rose, of course!" Ruby exclaimed, pretending to coddle her (at the moment nonexistent) weapon. "It's a collapsible scythe that's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle."

"You really like weapons don't you?" Takane asked.

"W-well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons," Ruby stammered. "I might have gone a little overboard designing it…"

"Don't worry!" Haruka chirped. "Takane's a bit of a dork with weapons too!"

"S-shut up, you idiot!" the girl in question snapped, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Eh? But you always clean your guns in the morning and…"

"Gyaah! Just be quiet, be quiet!" she screeched as she slapped her hand over his mouth. Those who were familiar with their behavior chuckled and smiled.

"You really made your weapon, Ruby?" Ayano asked.

"Yup!" This time it was Yang who answered. "My sister may be a dork, but she's insanely good with weapons."

"Do you think it may be possible for us to go over weapons designs later? I'd like to see if there's any way I can improve my weapon's capabilities," Ayano said.

"Ah! M-me too!" Marry stuttered.

"Really?" Ruby gasped. "You really mean it?"

"Of course!" Ayano smiled.

"Then sure! I'd love to!"

"Hate to break this conversation up," Kido interrupted. "But lunchtime's almost over and we still have classes."

"Oh, that's right!" Ayano exclaimed as she bolted up. "C'mon guys, let's go!"

* * *

Team TKSM were a couple hallways from the cafeteria when Kido realized something. "...Have any of you seen Marry?"

"No," Seto frowned. "...Did she even leave the cafeteria?"

"She did but I'm pretty sure she didn't make it far," Kano said.

"We're looking for her," Kido decided as she wheeled around. "You coming?"

"Actually, there's something that I want to talk about with Shintaro," the blond said. "So I won't be joining you. Hope you guys find her!" he added as he held up a hand and walked away.

"He better not be thinking of stealing his notes in any of our classes so far," she muttered to Seto as the two headed their own way.

* * *

"What is it you wanted to talk about?" Both Shintaro and Kano were sitting on a bed in ASTH's dorm, Kano's eyes blazing red as he created the illusion of the bed being empty.

"The White Fang are on the move and there's a new person calling the shots," he informed, an uncharacteristic serious look in his eyes. "You've heard of Roman Torchwick and the Dust robberies, right?"

Shintaro nodded. "A famous criminal?"

"Right. Apparently, both of them are working for some person called Flame and are robbing every Dust shop clean."

"Have you figured out why?"

Kano shook his head. "Roman doesn't know a thing either; he's always complaining about that fact."

"And this is a recent development," he grimaced as he put a hand to his chin in the classic 'thinking position'. "...Think this could be the snake?"

"Not likely. From what I've heard, the Queen likes to threaten him with fire. As far as I know, the snake doesn't have anything even remotely close to that. Besides, would he really call himself 'Flame'?"

"Point taken," Shintaro said. "He'd probably go with something more... appropriate."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I'm thinking that there's a conspiracy in need of uprooting," Shintaro grimaced.

* * *

Marry sighed dejectedly as she slumped against the wall. She had just escaped from a fellow first year team, CRDL if she remembered correctly. She buried her head in her arms, fighting back tears. The way CRDL acted reminded her of when she was much, much younger, when the kids from the nearby village picked on her because of her heritage. Only difference this time was that she was in a school, they didn't know about her snake-like traits, and they believed that she was just a mere child who had snuck into Beacon.

"Marry? What are you doing here?"

"Kido…" She looked up at the green-haired girl, and something in her eyes must have given something away.

"Who were the ones who did this to you?" she asked, her voice hard.

"K-Kido, it really isn't-"

"Marry."

The cream-haired girl shrank into herself. "C-CRDL."

Kido's eyes flashed for the briefest of seconds. "Those bastards-!"

"I don't want you to do anything!"

This made the girl stop, confusion evident on her face. "Marry? Don't you want him to stop?"

"I _do_ ," she affirmed. "But I don't want you or any of the others to do it. I want to be able to stand up for myself." She bounced back up, face set in resolve. "I want to be able to show them I'm strong, without any of you needing to help me! D-does… does that make sense?"

Kido sighed before smiling softly. "You want to be able to prove yourself, right?" At Marry's nod she continued. "I understand. We _are_ telling the others," she said firmly, ignoring Marry's frown. "But I'll also respect your wishes. Just know that if you ever find yourself in trouble, don't hesitate to ask for help, alright? We all care about you."

"I know," Marry said, smiling brightly. "I know you all care about me, which is why I won't let guys like them win! I'll show you that I'm capable of standing up for myself!"

* * *

 **A/N: Aaargh, sorry for mediocre** **chapter, I had like _zero_ ideas, especially in the middle part. Not only that, but I ended up rewriting a huge chunk because I cut out a scene that I deemed more appropriate for later (it'll be in beginning of Vol. 2; it's a flashback scene). So yeah, sorry. It's more of a set-up chapter for the future, setting up various relationships, info dumps, the likes. I assure you that the next chapter will at least be a little better tho! So stay tuned!**

 **As for the 'how long has Ayano known them?' part, it was originally going to be them receiving eye powers when they were eight,** **and being adopted at ten, but then I remembered that one part in Yobanashi Deceive where Kano said that it was _ten years_ since he had received his eye power. Ten _. Years._ Assuming that he was sixteen at that point in the song, as the anime seems to imply, that means he (and presumably the others, since they're the same age) got their eye powers when they were _six_. Holy crap, that's traumatizing; no wonder all of them are so messed up (heck, I'm surprised Kano's the only one who turned out the way he did). And for whatever reason, within Ayano's Theory of Happiness ****I always got the feel that Ayano was around 11-12 at the point of adoption. Since Ayano's about a year older (give or take, her birthday is late) that means the kids were around 10. I just lowered that number to nine because if Kido and Seto stayed in the poor orphanage any longer they might have turned out like Kano (that, and I kinda pitied them haha)**

 **Fun fact: Kano actually never went to school (according to the wiki lol). However, I feel as though he never shared his background with Kido or Seto (or anyone, really), only giving them the barest of details from his life before his eye power.**


	7. Theory of Strength

Marry panted for breath as she narrowly dodged a strike from Cardin's mace. She rolled into a firing position and shot several arrows at him. The bulky boy attempted to block them with his weapon, but some pierced into him.

"You dirty little girl!" he roared as he charged. Marry shifted her weapon into a lance and blocked the strike before she slipped to the side and sliced at him. He growled and clumsily rushed at her. Using her lance, she vaulted backwards into the air, shifted her weapon back into a bow, and fired downward.

Cardin grunted as he was sent sprawling while Marry deftly landed on her feet. The harsh screech of a buzzer stopped him from charging at the cream-haired girl.

"That's enough." Glynda strode in between the two and faced the rest of the class. "Students, as you can see, Mr. Winchester's aura is now in the red. In a tournament style duel, that would mean that he is no longer fit for battle and the official may call the match." She turned to Marry. "Ms. Kozakura, you've done splendidly. To improve as much as you did over the course of these weeks is no small task."

"Ah- t-thank you, Professor!" she squeaked.

"Remember, everyone!" the professor called. "The Vytal Festival is only a few months away! It's only a matter of time before students from the other kingdoms will begin arriving in Vale, so keep practicing. Those who are chosen to compete in the tournament will be representing all of Vale." The ringing of the bell echoed shortly afterward. "Class dismissed!"

* * *

It had been a few weeks since Initiation. During that time, RWBY and JNPR learned quite a few things about the members of TKSM and ASTH.

One: Shintaro was insanely smart, but also very socially inept.

Two: Takane always had her gas mask around her neck.

Three: All eight of them always, _always_ had something red on them, whether it be a sweater (Shintaro during colder days), a scarf (Ayano), or a necklace (almost everyone else).

Four: Marry could be extremely determined when she wanted to be.

It was well known around the school that Marry was currently having a bit of a 'showdown' with team CRDL, Cardin in particular. She had explicitly asked all of the professors not to interfere (though TKSM and ASTH secretly told them to stop Cardin if things got too dangerous). As she requested, all the professors merely stood by and watched as Marry gradually began building up both confidence and skill, and began standing up to Cardin without disrespecting him.

Currently, however, RWBY and JNPR had other things to worry about: Jaune.

"But in the end, Ren and I took them down, and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!"

"She's been having this reoccurring dream for nearly a month now…" Ren sighed as the two teams sat in the cafeteria.

Jaune poked at his food, his downcast gaze trailing to the side.

"Jaune? Are you okay?"

"...Uh? Yeah. Why?"

"It's just that you seem a little… not okay," Ruby said as she twiddled her fingers.

"Guys, I'm fine! Seriously, look!" He gave a nervous laugh and an unconvincing thumbs up.

"Jaune, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school," Pyrrha said.

"Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah, he just likes to mess around, you know? Practical jokes!"

"He's a bully," Ruby stated.

"Oh please… Name one time he's 'bullied' me."

Ruby and Pyrrha raised an eyebrow while they proceeded to tell him everything single incident, including the one with the rocket-propelled lockers.

"...I didn't land far from the school…"

"Jaune, you know if you ever need help you can just ask."

"Ooh!" Nora called. "We'll _break_ his _legs_!"

"Guys, really, I'm fine. Besides, he's not just a jerk to me, he's a jerk to everyone."

"Ow! That _hurts_!" a familiar voice cried. They turned to find Cardin yanking on Marry's hair as she crouched on the ground while the other members of CRDL laughed. Blake frowned and made to move, only to feel a hand on her shoulder.

"She can handle it herself," Seto said as he watched. "Not that I don't want to help her, but she asked us not to interfere, remember?"

Sure enough, Marry swatted Cardin's hand away and somehow managed to reverse their positions, Cardin kneeling on the ground as Marry stared down at him. They locked eyes and Cardin seemed to freeze.

"That was probably the last straw," Seto commented as Marry spotted him and gave a quick wave. "She hates getting her hair pulled. I'm surprised she didn't end up doing that earlier; she's too kind."

"Hey guys!" Marry squeaked as she walked over. She then noticed the stares. "You- you were watching that?"

"That was amazing, Marry!" Ruby said.

"How'd you do that?" Yang asked. "He just froze completely!"

"Semblance," Seto answered. "She can make people freeze temporarily upon eye contact," he elaborated as CRDL shot unsettled glares and hurried away.

"Seems like you really rattled Cardin," Weiss noted as they passed by.

"I doubt they'll be bothering you anymore," Pyrrha added with a smile.

Jaune sighed inwardly. Here Marry was, managing to earn the praise of Goodwitch and stand up to Cardin while he couldn't do anything. Worse than that; he was failing. He dejectedly picked up his lunch tray and walked away, not noticing Seto and Pyrrha watching him worriedly as he went.

* * *

"Class is starting," Shintaro said as he slid into the seat next to Jaune. No response. No 'hello', no greeting, nothing.

It was well known by now that Shintaro was not the best socializer. But even he knew that something was wrong with Jaune. The normally optimistic boy wasn't initiating the conversation like he normally would. In fact, he looked half asleep.

"Jaune."

"Hh-w-what?"

He merely jerked his head toward the clock. The bell rang, and a few moments later, the professor got up and began zipping around the classroom.

"Class has started; take your seats! Let us start where we left off! Prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution, more popularly known as the Faunus War…"

Shintaro nearly rolled his eyes; Jaune had dozed off once again. He turned his gaze back to the (undeniably hyperactive) professor.

"...Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day!" Another sip of his drink ( _Was that coffee?_ ) and he was back to zooming around the classroom. "Now! Have any among you been subjugated or discriminated because of your Faunus heritage?" A few students slowly, _slooooowwly_ raised their hands, including one rabbit Faunus in the front. "Dreadful, simply dreadful! It is _precisely_ this kind of ignorance that breeds violence! I mean- I mean- I mean- just look at what happened to the White Fang!"

 _And Marry,_ Shintaro couldn't help but add inwardly.

"Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorists believe to be the turning point in the third year of the war?" He looked at Weiss's raised hand. "Yes?"

"The battle at Fort Castle," she replied with a hint of smugness.

"Precisely! And, who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune's forces?"

A paper football made its way to Jaune's head, which jolted him awake.

"Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class! This is excellent, excellent! What is the answer?"

"Uhh, the answer…"

Shintaro frowned at him. He had dragged him along to his team's study group so that he wouldn't embarrass himself in situations like these. And he explicitly remembered going over this.

"The answer… is… um… Oh, night vision!"

"Great job, Mr. Arc! That is correct! Now then, Mr. Winchester…"

"What?" Cardin scoffed. He was awarded with a paper football to the face.

"If you wish to play football, please do so in your own time, not mine." This garnered a few snickers.

"What does it matter?" he jeered. "I know it's easier to train an _animal_ than a soldier."

Oobleck zipped in front of him, causing him to jump. "Because, Mr. Winchester, if you do not learn from history, you are destined to repeat it!" He popped back to the front of the classroom. "And since you simply won't put in the effort, I'll have to make you. See me after class for additional readings." He sipped from his cup once again. "Now! Moving on!"

* * *

The students walked out of the professor's class (save Cardin, for obvious reasons), with JNPR and ASTH bringing up the rear.

"You guys go ahead," Pyrrha told Ren and Nora. "I have an idea," she said to Jaune as she dragged him away.

"Shintaro…" Ayano ordered as she saw the two leave, giving him 'the look'. The boy half-groaned and half-sighed before turning to follow them.

* * *

Pyrrha finally let go of Jaune's arm when they arrived at the roof above their dorms.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune began. "I know I'm going through a hard time right now, but I'm not _that_ depressed…" He glanced down. "I could always be a farmer or something…"

Pyrrha looked down, back at him, and down again before sharply shoving him away. "No! That's not why I brought you up here! Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class, and that you're still not the strongest of fighters so… I want to help you!"

"...What?"

"We can train up here after class where no one can bother you!"

"It's not a bad idea," Shintaro said as he emerged from the doorway.

"...What are you doing here?"

"Following you," he grunted. "Jaune, you're already joining us when we study, what's another training regiment going to do?"

"Other than make me feel more useless?" he sighed. "Aren't you both saying that I need help?"

"No!" Pyrrha exclaimed just as Shintaro deadpanned, "Yes." They looked at each other before Shintaro shrugged.

"...Jaune, everyone needs a little push from time to time," Pyrrha continued. "It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon, that speaks volumes of what you're capable of!"

"You're wrong," Jaune interrupted. "I- I don't belong here."

"That's a terrible thing to say, of course you do!"

"No, I don't!" Jaune burst out. "I… I wasn't _really_ accepted into Beacon."

"Meaning?"

"I mean I didn't _go_ to combat school, I didn't _pass_ any test, I didn't _earn_ my spot at this academy!" He turned back to the two of them. "I _lied_! I got my hands of some fake transcripts, and I lied."

"W-why?" Pyrrha stuttered.

"Because this is what I always wanted to _be_! My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! ...I wanted to be one too. I was just… never good enough."

"Then let me help-"

"I don't _want_ help!" Jaune ranted. "I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!"

"Jaune, I-"

"I'm _tired_ of being the loveable idiot, stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand?! If I can't do this on my own, then what good am I?"

Those words struck a chord in Shintaro. Those were the kind of things that he would torment himself with, time and time again. That was exactly what he had thought when he had shut himself out of the outside world, so long ago. "...Does that really matter?" Shintaro finally spoke up.

"What are you talking about? Of course it-"

"You've seen our study groups haven't you?" he cut in. "I'm quite possibly the only academically smart one among the team."

"Yeah, 'cause you're a genius," he muttered.

"And yet, Ayano's the team leader," he continued, ignoring the comment. "Besides, that kind of question… is really dangerous."

This caught their attention. "How so?" Pyrrha asked.

Shintaro sighed. "Isn't it obvious? "If I can't do this on my own, then what good am I". If you focus too much on that question, you lose sight of the people around you and what you have to do. That, in turn, leads to you hurting others, which leads to you asking yourself that question once again. It's a vicious cycle."

"...You sound as if you've had experience with this kind of thing," Pyrrha ventured.

"...Not really me." A part of him was hating himself for brushing it onto someone else. "Ayano. She… we thought she was dead for two years."

Jaune and Pyrrha winced. "Sorry for bringing it up."

Shintaro merely grunted. "As for your other question, yes, I do understand what it's like to be incompetent."

"...Wait- what?! And you do know that was rhetorical, right?!"

"Of course I do," he said. His voice hardened, barely noticeable to the others. "It still needs to be answered."

"But… you're a genius! In what way could you ever feel incompetent?!"

"The day my village was destroyed by Grimm, perhaps?" he said as he raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure if you noticed, Jaune, but my physical strength isn't exactly the best of the best. Heck, a few years ago I could barely run a mile without exhausting myself." _Much less stop_ that _thing_ …

"...Well, what happened?" Pyrrha hesitantly asked.

"I couldn't do a single thing to save anyone else," he growled, his eyes flashing red briefly. "I was too busy saving my own sorry self. Remember when I said that we thought Ayano was dead for two years? Apparently, she sacrificed herself for her siblings and barely managed to survive. It was only chance that allowed us to meet each other again." He took a breath and relaxed as his eyes returned to their normal color. "Anyway, my point is that you shouldn't refuse help. That's what happened with Ayano, and she nearly died." _That's what happened with me, and I nearly killed myself._ "Keep that in mind," he added as he turned and walked away.

"Jaune," Pyrrha began once he left. "I… I want you to know that I'm here for you, if you need me. Shintaro's right, you don't have to be ashamed of receiving help."

Jaune sighed. "I know. Just… not now, alright? Please?"

Pyrrha looked at him worriedly before turning away, all of them unaware of a smirking Cardin as he swung himself up towards the roof.

* * *

 _Couple days later…_

Jaune hesitated as his hand hovered over the doorknob. He didn't know what to do. Cardin had him on a leash thanks to his fit of anger ( _tantrum_ , a tiny voice whispered) and he couldn't seem to do a thing about it. He was thinking about telling Pyrrha… but… he couldn't rely on her all the time. Thanks to that, he was avoiding her, putting them on rocky terms.

"Jaune! I haven't seen you in a while."

Jaune gave a start and turned to find Ayano smiling at him, wearing a long white nightgown with the same red scarf wrapped around her neck. "Oh. Hey, Ayano."

Ayano gaze filtered into a worried look. "You don't come to our study groups anymore… is something wrong?"

Jaune shook his head. "And before you ask, I haven't locked myself out," he added with a slight smile. He pulled out his scroll and waved it.

"Then… where have you been lately?"

Jaune frowned. "I…" He sighed. "I messed up. I did something I shouldn't have, and now Cardin's got me on a leash, and I can't do a thing to stop him." He slumped down against the door. "I'm starting to think that coming to Beacon was a bad idea."

"Why not ask your teammates for help?"

"Because… I have to do this on my own," he muttered as he stared at his hands. "I'm a huntsman! I have to prove that I can do this! Someone like Cardin shouldn't even trouble me! If… If I can't do this on my own…" He trailed off when Ayano placed her hand on him.

"Stop. Just _stop_."

Jaune raised an eyebrow at her before remembering Shintaro's words. _"We thought she was dead for two years."_ "Ayano…?"

She shook her head, her eyes set with an almost foreign ferocity. "You shouldn't have to feel the need to prove yourself. You're at Beacon, aren't you? That should be more than enough."

Jaune felt guilt claw at him from within. "But-"

"Nope," she interrupted. "Besides, that's not it. Not only are you at Beacon, but you're the leader of team JNPR! If the headmaster didn't think that you were worthy, he would have just chosen a different person to be leader."

"But what if I'm a failure at being a leader?" he sighed. "What if the headmaster was wrong?"

"Jaune," Ayano began. "The _only_ way to fail at being a leader is to fail your team. You haven't failed them. Not yet. You're still here. You're still _trying._ And as long as you try, you haven't failed yet." She smiled at him and stood back up. "You're not alone, Jaune. You have a team who can support you; we both do. And as leaders, it's our job to support them." She offered her hand to him. "And if your team isn't enough, you have the full support of team ASTH!"

Jaune took the offered hand and smiled gratefully. "Thanks." He paused as he remembered something. "By the way, where's Shintaro been? I haven't seen him around at lunch…" _The few times I actually_ came _to lunch._

"He's been working on a personal project," Ayano answered as she shrugged. "I think he's trying to improve his Dust capabilities, so he and Seto are going off on their own during lunch time."

Again, guilt gnawed at Jaune. He couldn't help but wonder if the change in behavior was his fault. "And another thing… Why does he keep trying to help me? From what I know of him, he doesn't seem like the type to go out of his way to help others… so why me?"

"He _is_ a bit of a grouch," she giggled. "As for why he would try to help you… I think it's because he sees himself in you."

"Sees himself in me?" he repeated dumbly.

"That's right. You're… well… No offense, but you're struggling," she admitted, which made Jaune hang his head. "Shintaro used to be the same. Not with grades, but with life."

Jaune blinked at her. "Come again?"

"He was struggling with life," Ayano repeated with a sorrowful expression on her face. "When I met him, he was a completely apathetic jerk. Even he will admit to that. Granted, he still is rather apathetic, but not to the degree he used to be. He thought… that life wasn't worth living at all. After the Grimm attack, he fell into a depression. He thought that _he_ wasn't worth living. It took Takane almost everything she had to keep him from completely shutting down."

Jaune winced. "He seems so strong… I never thought…"

"It's fine," Ayano reassured. "That was all in the past anyway. Back to what I was saying before, the Grimm attack changed him. It changed all of us, but I think it changed him the most. Thanks to his life before, he wasn't prepared at all for what he would face next. Kano calls him an information glutton," she noted. "And with good reason. Since he himself wasn't prepared for the adversary he would face, he wanted to make sure that you were prepared. That, and you're both kind of dorks," she laughed.

"Oh come on!" Jaune groaned, but his mood was considerably lifted.

"Anyway, I'll see you later! Make sure you get some rest; we have that field trip tomorrow." With a wave she disappeared down the corridor. Jaune smiled at her and waved back before his scroll started ringing. His good mood instantly dropped when he saw who it was.

"Hey! It's your buddy, Cardin. I know you're probably busy with that Dust project I gave you buuut I'm gonna need you to go get me a bag of rapier wasps." Jaune shuddered at this. "And make sure they've got some reeeaaally big stingers. It's important, so don't screw this up!"

Jaune sighed and returned the scroll to its place on his belt. With a heavy heart, he went to do as Cardin ordered.

* * *

 _The next day; Forever Fall_

"...Cardin? What's going on?" Jaune asked nervously. They were currently spying on team TKSM and ASTH as they collected sap from the trees of Forever Fall.

Cardin glared at the cream-haired girl. "Payback."

"...Marry? What-"

"That's her. Cream-haired _freak_ ; thinks she's so tough. All right boys," he spat. "Last night, little ol' Jaune here managed to round up an entire box of rapier wasps. And now, we're gonna put them to work."

Jaune gave an apprehensive chuckle.

"According to one of the essays he wrote me, these nasty things _looove_ sweets. I'm thinking it's about time we teach _her_ a thing or two." He hauled Jaune up and shoved the jar of sap into his arms. "And _you're_ gonna do it."

"Do what-?"

"Hit her with the sap," he commanded. "Either that, or I'll have a chat with Goodwitch and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon." Cardin stepped back and smirked. Jaune glanced at the jar of sap in his hands before getting into a throwing position. As he did so, however, the words of the Blindfold gang drifted in his mind.

 _"You have the full support of team ASTH!"_

 _"If you focus too much on that question, you lose sight of the people around you and what you have to do."_

 _"It changed all of us, but I think it changed him the most."_

 _"Not only are you at Beacon, but you're the leader of team JNPR!"_

He could even remember Marry's elation at having finally beaten Cardin in combat class. _It's not just about me,_ he realized. _And if I do this… then what would be the point of even going to Beacon in the first place?_ Resolve found, he lowered his hand. "No."

"What did you say?"

"I said… _NO_!" he shouted as he whipped around and chucked the jar. The sound of shattering glass followed as sap painted Cardin's armor. The air froze for a brief moment before the boy smirked darkly as he waltzed up and slugged him.

"You _know_ that wasn't very smart, Jauney boy. I'm gonna make sure that they send you back to mommy in teeny, _tiny_ pieces."

"I don't care what you do to me," Jaune said as he glared at Cardin. "But you're _not_ hurting my friends."

"What, you think talk like that makes you tough? You think that makes you a big, strong man now?" He threw him on the ground, knocking the breath out of him. "Let's see how much of a man you _really_ are."

As if summoned, a loud roar rang through the clearing. A large Ursa Major lumbered into the clearing and stared straight at Cardin.

The rest of CRDL promptly fled.

* * *

A faint roar echoed in the clearing. Both Shintaro and Ayano's heads snapped up. "An Ursa," the former growled. And they both recognized the direction it was coming from. _Jaune._

Ayano looked at the others. "Get Goodwitch!"

"I'm coming with you," Seto said as he joined them. The rest of TKSM and ASTH ran off as the threesome dashed towards the noise.

* * *

Pyrrha, Weiss, and Ruby arrived on the scene just as three more people burst out of the brush.

"Ayano?"

"Shintaro?"

"Seto?"

"Nevermind that," Seto interrupted as he looked at the Ursa. It made to swipe at Cardin but a _thunk_ rang out instead. Jaune had blocked the claw with his shield. Both Weiss and Seto readied their weapons.

"Wait," Pyrrha called.

Jaune deflected the strike and lashed out at the Ursa before dodging another blow.

"An Ursa Major," Shintaro muttered. "The bigger and stronger cousin of the common Ursa. Despite its size, it isn't any slower than an Ursa Minor. Aerial attacks are fatal to the attacker, as the bone armor spikes prevent any of them from working."

"Shin," Ayano said. The boy in question nodded and cocked his gun. "Just in case," she explained to the others.

Jaune leaped over another strike only to get slammed to the side by the other paw. He immediately got back up and commenced a staredown with the Grimm. With a large battle cry, he charged forth, both him and the Grimm raising their blades and swinging them at each other.

 _He's not going to make it,_ Shintaro realized. He was just about to fire when something caught his eye.

Pyrrha had lifted her hand, a black glow encompassing it. Jaune's shield rose up along with it to deflect the shot, and his sword continued on its arc to behead the Ursa. With a satisfied smile, she lowered it once more.

"Uh, what," Ruby gaped.

"How did you…" Weiss began.

"Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs… my Semblance is polarity."

"Whoa, you can control poles," Ruby stated with an awed voice.

"No, you dunce! It _means_ that she has control over _magnetism_!"

"Magnets are cool too," Ruby muttered as Shintaro withdrew his rifle. Pyrrha and Ayano rose and turned around.

"Where are you going?" Weiss asked.

"Aren't we gonna tell the others about this?" Seto said.

"We could," Pyrrha shrugged.

"Ooor we could keep this our little secret!" Ayano winked. With that, the two of them walked away, Ruby, Weiss, and Seto following. Shintaro hesitated as he turned back.

"Don't ever mess with my team, my _friends,_ ever again," Jaune was saying as he gripped Cardin's hand. With a wry smile Shintaro went to follow the others.

* * *

"No Cardin tonight?" Pyrrha asked as she stopped next to Jaune on the roof. "I thought you two were… best buds?"

"Pyrrha, I'm sorry," he sighed. "I was… I was a jerk. You were only trying to be nice and… I… I had all this stupid macho stuff in my head and-"

"Jaune, it's okay," Pyrrha interrupted. "It's fine." She gave him a smile before turning away. "Your team really misses their leader, you know. You should come down! Ren made pancakes~ No syrup though, you can thank Nora for that." She was reaching for the door when Jaune made his decision.

"Wait!" he called. "I… I know I don't deserve it after all that happened, but… would you still be willing to help me?" Seeing Pyrrha's curious look, he clarified, "To help me become a better fighter."

Pyrrha smiled and strode up to him before promptly knocking him over.

"Hey!"

"Your stance is all wrong," she stated. "You need to be wider and lower to the ground." She smiled as she helped him up. "Shall we try that again?"

"Glad to see you've made amends," a voice said as two people emerged from the doorway.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Ayano asked as she led Shintaro over.

Jaune blinked. "What are you two doing here?"

"We've been sparring," Shintaro answered. "Hand to hand."

"On the roof," Ayano clarified. "We've been doing it ever since we came to Beacon."

It was then that Jaune remembered Shintaro's words. _So… he's also been working on improving himself all this time, hasn't he?_

"By the way, Jaune, you're always welcome to rejoin us with our study group!" Ayano chirped. "You know when we meet, so come whenever you want!"

Jaune smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks. I'll definitely be there with you guys next time."

| _And so the sun sets on a day fun and new…_ |

* * *

 **A/N: Slowly chugging along the first volume~**

 **As usual, I'm asking for weapon names, slice of life scenes, and the like.. haha. Please comment down your ideas on where this story might go next! (or if I need to start picking up the pace and dropping a few cliffies... can't let the story get too boring now can I? ;D)**

 **Don't really have many remarks other than the usual. I've been focusing more on school instead of writing lately, so I haven't really created much new content (sadly). That, and I'm focusing more on this personal writing project of mine where I'm characterizing characters (it's surprisingly fun; go do it).**

 **Might take a short hiatus sooner or later to solidify certain points of the plot (read: the ending) and to really define the characters and their personalities (but that won't be until after I've finished with certain school things...)**

 **At any rate, please rate, review, favorite, suggest, etc. etc. etc! Hope you enjoyed and I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter as well!**


	8. State of Life

**A/N: Uploading this chapter a bit earlier since it's a little shorter~~ (it's obvious filler o3o)**

* * *

"And that's the match," Glynda said as she stepped between Shintaro and Kido. "While Mr. K-Shintaro may have been at a disadvantage, he managed to put up a good fight with clever maneuvering of his weapon. However, Ms. Kido didn't let this stop her and continued to pressure him." While normally she would be insisting on addressing students by their last names, Shintaro had flat out begged to not be called 'Kisaragi', apparently hating the attention that it would give him. After seeing the lengths he had gone through, how could she disagree?

(That, and she couldn't help but be amused by the spectacle.)

Kido and Shintaro nodded at each other and stepped off the arena, Kido shooting him a small smile as she did so. Shintaro sighed and rubbed his head. During the entire course of the battle, she hadn't used her 'eyes' at all.

"Now, for our next match…" Glynda opened up her scroll and looked through the various names. "Ms. Enomoto and Ms. Rose, get yourself prepared. You have four minutes."

Takane grinned. "Aw yeah, finally!" she cheered as she dashed away. Haruka chuckled as she left.

"She's sure excited, isn't she?" Yang commented as she slid into the seat next to him.

Haruka smiled. "Well, she's always been enthusiastic about these kinds of things."

"How good of a fighter do you believe her to be?" Weiss asked.

"Mm, well, she's strong! We took down thirty Ursas once!"

"Takane's probably one of the more stronger fighters among us," Ayano added. "She's good with weapons too, kind of like Ruby."

"Wonder who'll win~!" Kano remarked from his seat above them.

"I think Takane will, to be honest," Kido said as she joined the group. "While Ruby and Takane are both speed-fighters, Takane has more experience. Her fighting style is actually a bit like yours," she added, raising an eyebrow at Weiss. "Meaning she can easily take advantage of any openings that Ruby leaves."

"But you shouldn't count Ruby out just yet!" Yang rebutted.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see, hm?" Seto smiled good-naturedly. "No matter who wins, I'm sure this'll be a great spar nonetheless."

* * *

Ruby stared determinedly at her opponent standing across the stage. She had seen Takane's skill with her weapon, and she knew that she shouldn't take her lightly.

 _Her fighting style's a bit like Yang, actually,_ she mused. _She likes to take it up close and personal._ She shook her head. _Focus, Ruby!_

"Now, if you're both ready… begin!"

Ruby instantly rushed forward and swung her weapon. Takane leaped over, gunshots arching out as she did so.

Ruby blocked the shots with her blade. Firing, she rolled away and the two faced each other once more, on opposite ends of the arena.

 _She's quick. And fast. Very fast. But with my Semblance, I'm faster!_ Ruby rushed forward and slashed three times. Takane dodged all three and parried an incoming fourth with her gun. She twisted and shot her other weapon at Ruby, chipping at her aura.

Ruby continued with her momentum and swung her scythe every which way as she backed up, gun shells embedding into the ground as they were reflected off. In a burst of rose petals she blasted forth, smashing into Takane and sending her flying.

The pigtailed girl grunted, but backflipped in midair and continued with her attack. More gunshots peppered the air.

Ruby launched herself up and above Takane, bringing her blade down to slam her into the ground. Those outside the arena cringed at the sickening _crunch_ as the girl hit the ground.

"Did you really have to hit so _hard_?!" Takane complained as she got up and darted away.

"Sorry!" Ruby called, but she chased after her, the quiet _swish_ of her scythe sounding out once again.

Takane merely grinned as her pistols suddenly shifted into daggers and she raced forward, dodging a slash and forcing the blade into the ground.

"Wha-?" Ruby didn't get to finish as she found herself at the end of a very pointy looking dagger.

"Do you give?" Takane asked, a shit-eating grin on her face.

Ruby sighed before grinning back. "Yep, I give."

* * *

"I told you!" Haruka chirped as they made their way to the cafeteria. "Takane's amazing, isn't she?"

"Well, you would say that," Ayano teased. "After all, she is your girlfriend!"

RWBY and JNPR froze at that while Takane and Haruka flushed red.

"...EHHHH?!" they screamed.

"You guys are actually a thing?" Weiss asked, sounding impressed. Yang did a wolf whistle.

"Well, Takane confessed to me about one and a half a year ago," Haruka said, smiling even with the blush on his face and the mildly embarrassed look in his eye. "W-we've been dating ever since."

"Oh god, this is so embarrassing," Takane grumbled as she fidgeted with her school outfit. "Ayano! You are going to _pay_!"

Shintaro smirked at the girl in question. "Looks like my sister's rubbed off on you."

"Looks like she has," Ayano laughed. She paused as her scroll rang. "Oh, looks like Ms. Goodwitch is calling me. See you guys later!" she waved as she headed off.

"Honestly, that girl…" Takane muttered darkly while shaking her head, the blush fading. She then turned to Shintaro, an evil look in her eye. "Since Ayano's not here…"

"Ohhh no," he instantly said, backing up and hiding behind Ren. "You are _not_ going to drag me into your petty conflict."

"Petty?" Takane asked, tilting her head in a seemingly innocent way. "I wouldn't call it petty. You and your relationship with Ayano, on the other hand…"

"Gyaaah! Just shut up, you evil little virus! SHUT UP!" he yelled, a blush now coloring his own cheeks.

And what was team TKSM doing this entire time? Sitting at a table and eating popcorn.

"...Is this normal?" Jaune whispered to them.

"Pretty much," Seto answered sagely.

"Want some popcorn?" Kano offered. They shrugged. Soon enough, RWBY and JNPR had joined TKSM and were enjoying the show.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Professor Goodwitch?" Ayano asked as she closed the door behind her.

"Yes, that's right," Glynda said. "I was wondering if you would like to be able to go on missions like the older years. While I know your team is technical first-year year team, the headmaster wagers that you're all old enough and experienced enough to go on the higher level missions."

"Well, I know Takane would appreciate it," Ayano smiled. "But that can't be the only reason you've called me here, can it?"

"No it is not, Ms. Tateyama," she admitted. "You know that every year, Initiation takes place in the Emerald Forest. In order to make sure that nothing too dangerous lingers, we do a thorough cleanout every year. The headmaster has enlisted your team's help in this year's cleanup."

"E-eh?" Ayano squeaked. "Why us?"

"Your spectacular performance has convinced the headmaster that you are ready. Not only that, but second-year teams and above are allowed to travel regularly to the Emerald Forest, so long as they tell a professor beforehand. This mission is to see whether or not you are skilled enough to be given the benefits of a second-year team. Call it an… entrance exam, if you will." She adjusted her glasses as she continued. "That being said, this is only if you choose to accept this mission."

"Ah… so it's a heads up?" Ayano mused to herself, not realizing that the professor heard her and had a glint of approval in her eyes. "Well, I accept! Do you know when this mission will be?"

"I believe it will be sometime during the second semester," Glynda stated. "It may do you well to prepare."

* * *

 _"You see this?" the boy said. "It's a phone!"_

 _"Wow," she breathed, the noise slipping out as she examined it. "What… what does it do?"_

 _"Hm? Ah- well, it can call others if you need to… Oh! And it also plays music!"_

 _She tilted her head. "Music?"_

 _"Um- here," The boy smiled as he placed the little white buds in her palms. She stared at it, then back at him. "In here," he said as he pointed to his ear._

 _She slipped the buds on and gasped. She could hear a huge band of various instruments unlike anything she'd ever heard. And yet, they all blended seamlessly into the background as the singer's voice flowed into her ears. Before she knew it, she was humming along._

"Marry?"

The voice jolted her out of her flashback and she blinked at Ruby. "Wha?"

"I was wondering if you'd want to go to Vale with me and Yang!" she repeated, silver eyes shining. "There's some weapon maintenance supplies that I wanted to pick up."

Marry nodded eagerly. "I- I'd love to! I'll have to ask Kido for permission first, though."

"By the way, what were you thinking about?" the silver-eyed girl asked.

Marry smiled fondly. "When I first met Seto." Her eyes began to mist over, and she quickly blinked it away. "I think that was one of the best moments of my life."

"Really?" She tilted her head at her. "Why's that?"

"Well…" She glanced at the others at the table, snippets of their conversations bouncing back to her. Kido, for whatever reason, looked slightly tense from where she sat next to Weiss. Same with Blake, who was next to Kano. Shintaro and Ren were chilling on the other side, although Nora was constantly flipping to and fro from talking with Yang and dragging Ren and Shintaro into her conversation. Regardless of what they were doing, they were all engaged in their own respective activities.

As for Ruby and her, they were at the very end of the table. "You see, before Seto came… I was all alone. Mama… Mama had died a long time ago when I was really young." She could still picture the bandit standing over her mom, club raised and ready to attack…

She shuddered briefly. "And, well, there wasn't any houses or any other people nearby, as far as I knew… It felt like I would be alone forever. Then I met Seto," she said, brightening into a smile. "He was the one who showed me what the world was like, and who brought me to meet the others. It's thanks to him… it's thanks to him that I'm even here right now."

Ruby had dropped into a sorrowful look when she mentioned her mother, but smiled when she mentioned Seto. "Ah, I think I know what you mean," she said. "See… my mom died too… but Yang was always there to take care of me. And there's still Dad and Uncle Qrow!" she added. "And now I've got the rest of my team as well!"

"Marry," Kido called from behind her. "You done?"

"Oh! Yeah!" she replied. "Kido, can I go with Ruby and Yang to Vale? They're going shopping for weapon supplies."

The green-haired girl mulled it over before shrugging. "You don't mind if I come with, do you? Seto's been complaining that his blade's been getting dull too easily."

"Oh, sure!" Ruby exclaimed. "The more the merrier!"

* * *

Ayano thrust open the door of her dorm and strolled in, ignoring the curious looks from her other teammates. She quickly flipped open the latches of the case holding her weapon and clipped it onto her belt.

"Get ready, guys!" she called to everyone else. "We're gonna be doing some hardcore training!"

"Eh?" Haruka said. "What for?"

"We've got a test coming up sometime second semester," Ayano explained. "We're gonna be cleaning out the Emerald forest for its yearly checkup."

"This to see if we're on the level of a second year team?" Shintaro guessed.

Ayano nodded. "How did you know?"

"Well, seeing as how all of us are older than the other first years, it only makes sense," he shrugged.

"Alright! I'm all fired up!" Takane exclaimed as she leaped to her feet, guns at the ready.

* * *

"I noticed your sister's always wearing that cloak of hers," Kido said, drawing Yang's attention away from her conversation with Ruby and Marry (or at least, her _attempted_ conversation with Marry).

"Yeah," she replied. "She wears it to emulate our mom, and since she likes red…" She couldn't help downcast look from flitting across her face, but quickly shook it away.

"...I see. Reminds me a bit of Ayano."

"Your sister?" she asked. Kido nodded.

"You know those red hairclips? She used to wear them in a cross pattern, but since Mom died… she started wearing them parallel to each other, like Mom did."

Yang nodded. There was still one thing she was curious about in regards to Ayano, though. "And the scarf?"

Kido gave a small smile, eyes focusing out into the distance. "She actually started wearing that when we were adopted. Back then… we couldn't control our Semblances. People called us freaks, demons, even monsters because of our red eyes and the things that would happen when they turned red. In that place… aura wasn't very common, and Semblances were even rarer, almost a once in a lifetime thing."

"That's terrible," Yang sighed. No wonder they didn't like to say anything about their village. She had tried to get them to tell her something about their former home, but they always avoided the topic.

 _With no aura, the people of that place were probably destroyed in that Grimm attack. I hate to say this, but it only makes_ sense _that those who had unlocked their aura were the only survivors. And red eyes… I can't even imagine what it would be like to have been discriminated against like that._ When she herself had first found her Semblance, she was overjoyed, and the support and happiness from her family only served to make that day even better. But for Kido… it was probably one of the worst days of her life.

"By the time Ayano's family adopted us, we were so used to being called monsters that we really thought that we _were_ monsters," Yang heard, interrupting her thoughts. She saw Kido give a little shrug before continuing. "To cheer us up, Ayano donned that scarf and told us that red was the color of heroes, not monsters. As you can see, it worked," she added, motioning to herself. "'Course, later on we found out that it was actually something to be proud of, but that wasn't until much later, after the Grimm attack."

Yang winced with sympathy. "You've had it rough, haven't you?"

"To be honest, I feel like I got off relatively easily," Kido explained. "At least, compared to some of the others… Sure, it hurt, but some of us had far worse things happen to them."

Yang frowned, but decided not to pry. After all, she had already told her so much about herself. It would be unfair to ask for more. Although, Kido seemed strangely distracted when she had said that last sentence… and she had spotted her eyes sliding over to Marry for a brief second before returning back on her. Not only that, but there were various other things, discrepancies that made her curious. Shintaro's slip up of calling Takane a 'virus'. It was an oddly strange and specific choice of an insult. And while most would just shrug it off, it made a girl wonder.

 _Just what kind of things had happened to her gang? And Marry just seems so_ innocent _, like Ruby is… So why did Kido look at her when she said that some of them had suffered far worse?_

She wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

* * *

Kano stared at the ceiling of his dorm as he raised his hand up into his line of vision. Beside him, Seto was polishing his halberd, the occasional _squeak_ ringing out as he wiped it down.

"You're being awfully quiet today," he remarked softly.

"So what if I am?" he asked, but his voice was dull, the same as his eyes.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself," he urged, though his voice was still low and quiet. "Don't you think you should at least tell Kido or Ma-"

"You know how Marry would react to this," he snapped harshly. "You _know_ how she feels about murderers."

"Then why no-"

"Kido doesn't need to know about this," he repeated. "My answer will always be the same. Telling her would only put her in danger."

Seto clammed up. He oh-so- _obviously_ didn't like it, but Kano knew that he respected his decisions enough to keep quiet. He _also_ knew why Seto was _really_ here.

"...Thanks," he whispered, just barely heard over the constant _squeak_ of metal.

Seto didn't say anything in response, only smiled. They both knew that his company helped, when he was quietly suffering alone out of sight. They both knew that just _being there_ helped to ease some of the pain. And they both knew that they would always be there for each other, for as long as they were able.

They were brothers, after all.

* * *

 **A/N: Obvious filler chapter is obvious, but at least we got to do some relationship building, so there's that.**

 **This was originally going to be a Ayano/Ruby/Marry relationship building chapter, but then Ayano left the picture and it turned into Takane/Haruka, then I cut that scene to move to a future chapter, then I attempted to get back on track with the Ruby/Marry, but _then_ Kido, Kano, and Seto decided to butt in and it turned into this :/ Hope you enjoyed it anyway!**

 **I really want to hammer in the fact just how _little_ that the RWBYverse chars truly know about the Blindfold gang. Sure, they know about their personality, a very _general_ outline of their past, etc. etc... but they don't really _know_ the suffering that they suffered. **

**I feel bad for Kido. She's the one constantly out of the loop... QAQ**

 **Fun fact, chapter title is based off Konoha's State of the world, only I made it so the acronym would be SoL, which could also mean Slice of Life o3o**

 **(SoL- Standards of Learning XDDDD)**


	9. Children Brave

**A/N: Mega chapter this time! It's been over a month, so I thought I'd award you guys! It's definitely _not_ because I lost track of word count and wanted to fit this entire mini arc in one chapter! Nope! Definitely not that!**

* * *

It's all gone wrong… _Shintaro thought, mouth agape and frozen from the scene before him._ It's all gone _wrong_ …!

 _"Stop it! Seto! SETO!"_

Even when knowing what was coming next… Even with these red eyes… Even then… I _failed…_!

 _His sister's choked sobs echoed pitifully in his ears, stopping just short of reaching his brain. Gunshots rang out, and Ko- the snake tossed the green-hooded boy's body aside. Marry's scream brought him out of his thoughts, and his teeth clenched._

There's still one…!

 _He knew that the snake would never dare harm Marry, at least physically. Which only left him and…_

Momo. I have to protect her. I have to…!

 _The snake cackled madly and raced forward, fist already rearing back to strike her._

 _Shintaro darted forth and took the blow, gasping as all the air was rammed out of him and he slammed against the wall. He slumped to the ground, blood trickling out of his mouth._

 _In a flash the snake was upon him. "Trying to protect your precious little sister, are we? How about we destroy that hope?" With that, he slammed his hand into his legs._

CRACK.

 _He gagged as pain unlike anything he'd ever felt flooded his body, pupils dilating even as the logical part of his brain continued drinking in everything that was happening around him; the unbearable pain of his legs (_ Broken _, the sane part of his mind whispered), the blood splattering on the ground, and his sister's gaze snapping towards him._

 _"ONII-CHAAN!" Momo screamed, terrified eyes locking onto his own._

 _"Y-you… sadistic bastard…" he managed to cough out as he wrenched his gaze away and glared into the snake's twisted eyes._

 _Its grin merely widened. "Perhaps I am! Now, let's see how you feel about your heart being broken_ all over again _!"_

I'm sorry, Momo, Ayano, I've failed you both… _he thought as shots erupted in his heart and he knew no more._

* * *

Shintaro bolted awake, gasping and panting for breath as he gripped his heart tightly. The faint light of the moon filtered through the window, reassuring him that he was _not_ dying at that moment, thank you very much. He sighed as his heartbeat slowly returned back to its normal pace, though he kept his hand there.

It had been nearly three years since that day, and even then, the nightmares haunted him. That day when he had felt the most useless in his entire life. Even after going into the Heat-haze, even after gaining an eye power, even after all that…

He failed. Simple as that; he failed. Failed Ayano, failed Momo, failed everyone else. He frowned at the moon in the sky. It was still unbearably early, but he didn't think that he would be able to fall back asleep.

 _HikiNEET me wouldn't be worrying about these things,_ he thought wryly. He glanced at the clock. It read 3:38. He sighed once again and swung himself out of bed, pulling on some socks before silently walking out of the room. The door shut with a small _click_ , and he was left wondering what to do.

 _Target practice would do no good; it_ was _a gun that killed me…_ he decided. Like a ghost, he slid down the corridors and wandered the halls. _But at this early a time, there isn't much else to do…_

"Who's there?" a voice called warily, the sound echoing behind him. Shintaro stiffened as he whipped around.

"You scared me," was all he said as he relaxed. Facing him was the black-haired girl of RWBY, Blake Belladonna.

"What are you doing up so late?" she asked.

"I could say the same to you," he replied as he eyed the golden-amber eyes of the girl. They were a far cry from the snake's sickly yellow (at least when it was possessing Konoha), but it was still close enough to set him on edge. Not to mention the fact that her hair, while much silkier, was also black.

"I asked first," she pointed out.

Shintaro rolled his eyes but answered, "Nightmares," as he moved to the wall and sat down. Blake followed shortly after. "You?"

"Same." She certainly was a talkative one. He could understand though; he wasn't exactly one to socialize. There was a period of silence as they stared at the wall across from them.

"If you don't mind my asking, what was it about?"

"Memories," he grimaced. He wasn't about to tell her what it _actually_ was about, but he wasn't going to outright lie like Kano probably would.

"Ah." There seemed to be a clock somewhere nearby, as he could hear it faintly tick in the background. "Same."

"Well," Shintaro began as he rose. "See you later."

"Tell me something," Blake cut in. "Do you value your memories?" She then blinked, as if surprised with herself.

Shintaro raised an eyebrow at the unexpected question. _Do I value my memories?_ "Yes," he answered, then with more confidence. "Yes, I do."

"Memoir," Blake stated. "A few weeks ago, Seto said that you didn't know where to begin naming your weapon. Since you value your memories, you could name it Memoir."

Now this was a surprise. "I'll think about it," he said. "It'll certainly get her off my back…" he muttered under his breath, but Blake seemed to have heard this and chuckled lightly.

"Well then, see you."

"You too," he replied and they headed their separate ways.

* * *

Kano was perched on the roof of one of the many buildings of Vale, overlooking a certain dock. Next to him, Shintaro sat with his sniper scope trained on the various ships.

"So, this is where it's going to happen?"

"No doubt," Kano said. "So, what do you think?"

"There's plenty of sniper spots up here," he said. "And I don't think we should reveal ourselves just yet. If there's an opportunity to stop them, we'll take it, but I think our priority right now is to stay in the shadows as much as possible. Do you know why they're stealing so much Dust?" he asked.

Kano shook his head. "I'm almost sure I'll be finding out soon. You don't become the infamous 'Assassin of the White Fang' without learning of these types of things."

"Anything else to report?"

"I don't think so," Kano frowned. "I think it's only going to be Roman and the White Fang this time around. Even with this huge cargo of dust, I don't anticipate any of the ringleaders coming out.

Shintaro hummed to himself as he got up. "Well, I know Seto's probably nagged you about this a couple times, but be careful."

Kano only sighed and nodded before flipping up his hood and bounding away.

* * *

"The Vytal Festival! Oh, this is absolutely _wonderful_ ~!" Weiss sang as she stopped below a 'Welcome to Vale' banner.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much, Weiss," Ruby remarked. She gave her a pointed look. "It's kinda weirding me out."

"How could you _not_ smile?" Weiss asked. "It's a festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances, parades, a tournament! Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into such an event is simply _breathtaking_!" she continued as she skipped around and resumed walking.

"You sure know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring," Yang said.

"Quiet, you."

"Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?"

"Ugh, they smell like fiiish," Ruby groaned as she held her nose.

"I do think it's nice to take a breath of fresh air," Ayano smiled as she walked alongside them, Marry clinging to her like glue.

"Well, _I've_ heard that the students from Vacuo will be arriving today, and as a representative of Beacon, I feel it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine Kingdom."

"She wants us to spy on them so we'll have the upper hand during the tournament," Blake translated.

"Ah- you can't prove that!" Weiss sputtered vehemently.

"Whoa," Ruby interrupted as he gaze was caught by a store to the side. Marry followed her gaze and gasped.

"That poor store!" she squeaked. The building had busted windows and was boarded up with yellow police tape all around the perimeter and along the openings.

"What happened here?" Ruby asked as she walked up to the detectives within, the others following behind her.

"Robbery. Second Dust shop this week." Then, under his breath, "This place is turning into a jungle."

Yang made a noise of sympathy. "That's terrible."

"They left all the money again!" another one of the detectives called.

"Yeah, it just doesn't make a lick of sense," the first detective growled, although Marry heard it with her sharp ears. "Who needs that much Dust, anyway?"

"I dunno, ya know what I mean?"

"You thinking the, uh, White Fang?"

"I'm thinkin' we don't get paid enough," the second man grumbled.

"Hmph," Weiss said as she turned away. "The White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates."

"What's your problem?" Blake asked. There was something in her tone of voice that instantly set warning bells off in Marry's mind. She turned to Ayano questioningly, wondering if she also heard the same thing.

"My problem? I simply just don't care for the criminally insane," Weiss stated.

She got the barest of nods back from Ayano before she turned back to focus on the developing argument.

"The White Fang are hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided Faunus."

"Misguided?" she asked indignantly. "They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet!"

"So then they're _very_ misguided," Blake amended. "Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale."

"Blake's got a point," Ruby interrupted, attempting to stop the altercation. "Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy that I ran into a while ago… Maybe it was him."

" _That_ still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal."

"That's not _necessarily_ true," Ayano frowned. A cry of "stop that Faunus!" interrupted her.

"Thanks for the ride, guys!" the Faunus called as he leaped off the boat and dashed away.

"You no-good stowaway!" one of the sailors yelled.

"Hey!" he protested, hanging from a streetlamp with his tail. "A no-good stowaway would have been caught! I'm a great stowaway!" He narrowly dodged a stone thrown at him. Marry couldn't help the horrified gasp that escaped her.

"Hey, you!" detective 1 called. "Get down there this instant!" He was awarded a banana peel to the face. The Faunus merely laughed to himself as he swung to his feet and leaped away, the detectives giving chase. As he passed by the girls, Marry caught him winking at Blake, whose eyes widened imperceptibly.

"Well, Weiss," Yang began. "You wanted to see the competition, and there it goes."

"Quick!" she exclaimed. "We have to observe him!" Red, white, and yellow quickly dashed away. Blake gazed at them, mouth parted slightly with shock while Marry and Ayano looked worriedly at her.

"You alright?" Marry whispered.

"I'll be fine," she murmured as she shook her head and followed.

* * *

"Hello there! I'm Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!" the orange-haired girl chirped.

"Hi, Penny," Ruby started. "I'm Ruby!"

"I'm Weiss."

"Blake."

"Are you _sure_ you didn't hit your head?" Yang asked. Blake elbowed her. "Oh, I'm Yang."

"My name's Ayano!"

"I-I-I-I'm Marry," Marry stammered.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny exclaimed.

"You already said that," Weiss pointed out.

"...So I did!"

"Well, sorry for running into you," she continued.

"Take care, friend!" Ruby waved.

"Well, she was… weird," Yang commented as they walked away.

"Eccentric," Ayano corrected. "I think she's charming."

"What did you call me?" Penny asked, staring at the group.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't think you heard me!" Yang immediately said while Weiss looked immensely confused at how she could have ended up in front of them so quickly.

"No, not you," Penny interrupted while walking forward. "You!" she stated as she leaned over Ruby.

"Me? I-I don't know what I- um-"

"You called me 'friend'. Am I really your friend?"

"Uuuum…" Ruby looked over Penny's shoulder to find the rest of her teammates frantically waving their arms around in a clear answer of 'NO'. Ayano and Marry, on the other hand, seemed slightly encouraging, Ayano giving her a smile while Marry's eyes seemed to brighten the tiniest bit. "Yeah, sure! Why not!"

The rest of team RWBY immediately fell to the ground while Marry broke into a smile and Ayano beamed.

"Ahahaha! Sennnsational! We can paint our nails, try on new clothes, and talk about cute boys!"

"Oh… is this what it was like when you met me?" Ruby asked Weiss lowly with a slightly hesitant look.

"No. She seems _far_ more coordinated."

"Sooo, what are you doing in Vale?" Yang asked.

"I'm here to fight in the tournament," Penny stated.

"Wait, _you're_ fighting in the tournament?"

"I'm combat ready!" she saluted.

"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part," Weiss expressed skeptically.

"Says the girl wearing a dress," Blake deadpanned.

"It's a _combat skirt_ ," she stressed.

"Yeah!" Ruby, Ayano, and Marry chimed. Ruby, Ayano, and Weiss casually low-fived each other.

"Wait a minute," Weiss began as she grasped Penny's shoulders. "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed… rapscallion?"

"Who?"

Marry caught the slight narrowing of Blake's eyes and realized that this wasn't going to turn out well.

"That filthy Faunus from the boat!"

"Why do you keep _saying_ that?"

"Huh?"

"Stop _calling_ him a rapscallion. Stop _calling_ him a degenerate! He's a _person_!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Weiss snapped. "Would you like for me to stop referring to the _trashcan_ as a trashcan, or this _lamppost_ as a lamppost?" She gestured to the two aforementioned items as she said so.

A hurt feeling gripped Marry's heart as she inconspicuously ducked behind Ayano. _How can people say such mean and cruel things like that?!_ She could sense the beginnings of tears in her eyes, but quickly blinked them away.

"He _clearly_ broke the law. Give him time, he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang."

"Ugh, you _ignorant_ little _brat_!" Blake yelled as she stormed off.

A pause. "How _dare_ you talk to me like that!" Weiss screeched. "I am your _teammate_!"

" _You_ are a _judgemental_ little girl."

"Hey, guys," Ayano attempted to placate. "Can't you just-"

"Stay out of this!" they both snapped. Ayano immediately flinched back, a pained expression flitting across her face. Black and white continued with their argument, unaware of what they had just done.

"What in the _world_ makes you say that?"

"The _mere fact_ that you would sort that Faunus boy with a terrorist organization…"

"Uhh, I think you guys should leave," Yang said to Ayano and Marry. The two of them nodded, although Ayano had a sort of helpless look in her eyes.

"I… guess we should," Ayano sighed.

"Don't worry," Ruby attempted to reassure. "We'll sort things out."

"Right… Penny," she called. "Do you wanna go see some of the shops downtown?"

"I would love to!" she chirped, and the three of them left.

* * *

"Do you want to know _why_ I despise the White Fang?" Weiss hissed. " _Why_ I don't particularly trust the Faunus? It's because they've been at war with my family for _years_." She stopped pacing and leaned out their dorm window. "War, as in actual _bloodshed_. My grandfather's company has had a target painted on its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, I've seen family friends disappear, board members executed, an entire train car full of Dust… stolen. And every day, my father would come home _furious_. And that made for a very. Difficult. Childhood." She fisted her hands and rapped them against the wooden shelf.

Ruby walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder "Weiss, I-"

"No!" she yelled. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang?" she asked, turning to Blake. "It's because they're a bunch of liars! Thieves! And _murderers_!"

"WELL, _MAYBE_ WE WERE JUST _TIRED_ OF BEING PUSHED AROUND!" Blake hissed. Weiss stepped back, eyes widening with shock. Blake's angry expression fell as she glanced around at the stares. "...I-" She cut herself off abruptly and darted out of the room.

"Blake! Wait!" Ruby cried as she ran to the open door. "Come back!"

* * *

Blake gasped for breath as she slowed to a halt in front of the huntsmen statue in the courtyard. She looked at the conquering huntsmen sadly before her gaze drifted to the lone Grimm at the bottom. Her hands slowly, slowly, painstakingly went up to the bow in her hair. Pulling the ribbon taut, it unraveled in her hands as she pulled it out. Twin purple cat ears twitched as they were finally exposed to the world.

"So you finally decided to reveal yourself, eh?"

The voice caused her to freeze, her heart thumping painfully loud in her chest. She whipped around, shocked eyes landing straight onto the one person she would say that she _never_ wanted to see again.

"Kano," she gritted out.

"I'm not the only one here," he said, waving at the monkey-tailed Faunus next to him.

"I _knew_ you'd look better without the bow," he smirked.

* * *

"Blake's missing?" Marry squeaked. Ruby nodded glumly.

"She ran out yesterday and we haven't seen her since."

"Why _did_ she run?" Kido asked, coming up next to them.

"It's…" She sighed. "It's hard to say… Blake might not be who we thought she was."

Kido tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"You remember how Weiss and Blake were arguing, right?" she asked, looking at Marry, who nodded. "Well, during the argument, she said… she referred to the White Fang as 'we'."

Kido frowned. "So she's a member of the White Fang?"

"I don't know…" Ruby groaned. "We haven't had a chance to talk to her since she disappeared."

"Well, we'll keep an eye out." She paused as she remembered something. "Actually, Kano might already be with her."

"Huh?!"

"See, Kano's disappeared too," Kido said. "It's kinda become a regular thing at this point, but if I know him, he's probably already found Blake and is interrogating her."

"I-interrogating?!" Ruby gasped with alarm.

"D-don't worry! Kano knows when he goes too far… I hope…" Marry muttered.

Kido groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. "At any rate, we'll tell you if we see her, alright?"

"Yeah, sure," Ruby sighed. "Thanks for your help!" she added as she turned away.

* * *

"Where _do_ you think Blake's gone?" Marry asked once they closed the door.

Kido sighed. "Well, the circumstances are different… but if I were her, I'd probably be going to a public place to prevent herself from being easily spotted but also someplace to gather her thoughts. A cafe maybe?" she mused. "Still, I didn't think that she would be a member of the White Fang… I know she's a Faunus, but she seems too… quiet, for lack of a better word."

Marry nodded. "Yeah, she's too nice! She couldn't have… she _couldn't_ have…!"

"Oi, Marry," Kido said in alarm as she began shaking and curling into herself. "Calm down. _Calm down._ I'm sure she has an explanation."

"But what if… what if-!"

Kido grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. She knew exactly where Marry was coming from. _But I can't say a thing about it,_ she thought ruefully. _Because… because I don't know_ what _I even want to_ say…

"Calm down," she whispered, the only thing that she could think of saying. "Just calm down. We'll get our answers soon, so calm down."

"But what if…!" she choked out.

"It's alright," she murmured. "It'll be alright." _I really hope it'll be alright…_

* * *

"Thanks for telling us. We'll definitely keep an eye out," Ayano said as she closed the door. She turned back to her team. "Any thoughts?"

"Kano's probably found her or somethin'," Takane shrugged.

"Right!" Haruka agreed. "We should probably still keep a look out, though."

Ayano frowned. "I kind of hope Kano hasn't found her… You know what he's like. And seeing as how Blake might be a member of the White Fang…" All four members of ASTH winced.

"Definitely not pretty," Takane sighed.

* * *

"Finally, she speaks!" Sun exclaimed as he threw up his hands. "Nearly two days and you've given me nothing but small talk and weird looks." Blake glowered at him. "Yeah, like that."

Blake sighed. "Sun… are you familiar with the White Fang?" She chose to ignore the other blond sitting next to him.

"Of course! I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks, if you ask me."

"I…" Blake hesitated. _No turning back now,_ she reminded herself, her eyes straying briefly to Kano. "I was once a member of the White Fang."

Sun did a spit take and stared at her. "Wait, _you_ were a member of the White Fang?"

"That's right. I was a member for most of my life, actually." Her eyes once again flitted to Kano. "You could almost say that I was born into it." The blond didn't do anything, only sat there with that same stupid smile on his face and a curious look in his eyes. "Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between humans and Faunus. Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. So the White Fang rose up to be the voice of our people. And with them, I did too. I was at the front of every rally, I took part in every boycott, and I actually thought that we were making a difference. I was just being a youthful optimist."

This time Kano's smile faded and his eyes furrowed together.

Blake continued. "Then, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking. Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fires to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used Faunus labor. And the worst part was? It was working. We were being treated as equals… but not out of respect. Out of fear." The _clink_ of a teacup rang out as she set it down. "So, I left. I decided that I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a huntress. So here I am," she stated. "A criminal hiding in plain view. All with the help of a little, black, bow." She twitched her cat ears to prove her point.

 _Although, it is strange…_ Blake thought to herself. _How come I don't feel nervous when I'm around Kano now? How come I don't feel the same pressure from him. Why was it so_ easy _to tell the truth; and to a near complete stranger at that!_ she added, glancing at Sun.

"So…" Sun began, interrupting her thoughts. "Have you told your friends any of this?"

Blake merely closed her eyes and avoided his gaze, opting to stare at her now empty teacup.

"You should tell them." This time it was Kano who spoke up, an almost off-putting serious look on his face.

Blake blinked with surprise. Almost every time she had seen him, he was smiling or even grinning. To see that smile fall… _It's disconcerting_ , she realized. And yet, it almost felt… natural?

"Tell them the truth now… before you're unable to anymore," he continued, bringing her attention back to him. The "speaking from experience" went unsaid, but Blake heard it nonetheless. "Soon enough, you'll have tangled yourself up in a web of lies… and you don't want that, do you?" The grin had slipped back on his face, quick and easy.

Blake merely shot him a look… _But he's right,_ she thought to herself. _He's telling the_ truth _._

"Well," Kano started as he stood. "I'll be going now. Kido's really gonna hand it to me if I stay any longer."

"You're leaving?" Sun asked.

"Yup!" he said, popping the 'p'. "I've been with you guys this whole time, right? To them, I've been missing for that length of time."

Guilt pricked at her before she frowned. _Why am I feeling guilty? It was his choice! Besides, he probably stayed just to keep an eye on me! Heck, he outright_ threatened _me before Initiation even began!_ But he had shown a different, _vulnerable_ side of him, and Blake couldn't ignore that. No matter how small it was, or how brief it seemed, it showed her that he still had feelings and _emotions_ , just like her. And if she ignored that, then she would be no better than the humans who had discriminated _her_.

It bothered her slightly, the realization that they were probably more similar than she would like to admit.

 _He called his Semblance the "Deceiving Eyes"..._

"Well then, you'd better hurry," Blake said. She had _seen_ how violent Kido can get, on her very first day at Beacon even. "Wouldn't want her to smash your face in."

"Haha, that's true~" he laughed as he waved and headed off.

* * *

"Blaaaaake?"

"Blaaaaaaake! Where are yooouuuuuu?!"

"Blake!"

"Ms. Blake?" Marry squeaked before turning to Seto. "Are you sure we'll find her today?"

Seto shrugged before smiling amicably. "I don't know, but I've got a pretty good feeling about today."

"You said that yesterday, bud," Yang pointed out.

Meanwhile, Ruby turned to the girl who hadn't said a thing. "Weiss, you're not helping."

"Oh! You know who might be able to help?" the white-haired girl began. "The police."

"Ugh, Weiss…" she growled.

"It was _just_ an idea!" she protested.

"Yeah, a bad one."

"We should try to hear her side of the story before jumping to any conclusions," Seto sighed. He knew full well how inaccurate stories could be and how damaging those inaccuracies could become.

" _I_ think that when we hear it, you'll all realize that I was right," she stated stubbornly.

"And I think Weiss's hair looks wonderful today!"

"Gyaaaah! Penny, where did you come from?" Ruby asked as the five of them turned to face the newcomer.

"Hey, guys!" she smiled. "What are you up to?"

"Uuhh…"

"We're looking for our friend, Blake," Yang answered in Ruby's stead.

"Ooooh! You mean that Faunus girl!" she exclaimed.

RWY blinked at her while Seto and Marry's eyes widened slightly. "Wait…" Ruby started. "How did you know that?"

"Uh, the cat ears?"

"What cat ears?" Yang asked. "She wears a… bow…"

A tumbleweed bounced across the street.

"...She does like tuna a lot," Ruby whispered.

"So, where is she?" Penny asked, looking around a little.

"We don't know," Ruby sighed. "She's been missing since Friday."

"That's terrible!" Penny gasped before strolling up to her. "Don't you worry, Ruby my friend! I won't rest until we find your teammate," she nodded.

"Um, that's really nice of you, but we- we're okay. R-right guys?" When she looked to her teammates, she found that they had both scrammed.

Seto and Marry blinked as another tumbleweed bounced across the street.

"It sure is windy today," Penny remarked.

* * *

"So… what now?" Sun asked as he and Blake walked along the sidewalk.

Blake sighed. "I still don't believe the White Fang is behind these robberies. They've never needed that much Dust before."

"What if they did?" Sun abruptly stopped and turned to her. "I mean, the only way to prove that they _didn't_ do it is to go to the place where they would _most likely_ go if they _were_ to do it, and not find them there! Right?"

She blinked and processed what he said. "The only thing is, I have no idea where that would be," she admitted.

"Well, while I was on the ship, I heard these guys talking about offloading a _huge_ shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas."

"How huge?"

" _Huge_ ," he said, holding his arms wide. "Big Schnee company freighter."

"You're sure."

"Absolutely positive."

* * *

"Thanks again!" Yang said as she closed the shop door. "This is _hopeless_." She shot a look at Weiss. "You really don't care if we find her, do you."

"Don't be stupid, of course I do," she retorted. "I'm just afraid of what she would say when we find her. The innocent never run, Yang," she added as she turned away.

* * *

"So, Blake is your friend?" Penny asked Ruby.

She groaned silently before answering, "Yes, she is."

"But you're mad at her?"

"Yes! I mean- well, I'm not, Weiss is."

"Is _she_ friends with Blake?"

"M-maybe…?" Marry stuttered.

"But… why?"

"Well, you see, Blake may not be who we thought she was," Ruby sighed.

Penny gasped before leaning in and whispering, "Is she a man?"

"No- no, Penny, she's no- I don't know _what_ she is," Ruby grimaced. "She didn't exactly… talk to us, before she decided to _run off_."

"I don't have a lot of friends," Penny began. "But if I did, I would want them to talk to me about things." Marry and Seto nodded their agreement, thoughts straying to one particular trickster.

"...Me too," Ruby said, and they continued with their search.

* * *

Crouching on the roof, Blake gazed at the large crates of Dust with a hawk's eye. Sun leaped next to her, holding a bundle of apples in his arms.

"Did I miss anything?"

"Not really," she answered. "They've offloaded all the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there."

"Cool. I stole you some food!" he chirped, handing her an apple.

"Do you _always_ break the law without a second thought," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey! Weren't you in a cult or something?"

Blake shot him a look.

"Okay, too soon." The high-pitched whirring of an engine interrupted them and drew their attention to a bullhead touching down in the empty space between the crates. A landing bridge _clunked_ to the ground. Uniformed people in white spilled out, each donning a metal mask, a black hood, and a red, wolf-like symbol on their backs.

"Oh no…"

"Is that them?"

"Yes…" she muttered. "It's… them."

"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you."

"No," she said. "I think deep down, I knew. I just didn't want to be right."

"Hey!" The voice caused her to snap to attention. "What's the holdup? We aren't exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, _so_ why don't you animals try to pick up the pace." From out of the bullhead, another man emerged, clad in a black bowler hat, a white suit, and a cane casually clutched in his hand.

"This isn't right," Blake hissed as she stood. "The White Fang would never work with a human. Especially one like _that_."

"Hey!" Sun cried, seeing her unsheathe her sword. "What are you doing?!" Too late; she already dropped down and darted towards the group.

"No, you idiot, this isn't a leash," Roman was growling. The sound of metal slicing through wind stopped him. "Wha… Oh, for fu-"

"Nobody move!" Blake called, holding Gambol Shroud to his neck. This immediately brought the White Fang members to draw their various weapons and take aim at her.

"Whoa, take it easy there, little lady," Roman chuckled.

With a single fluid motion, Blake ripped out the bow hiding her cat ears. "Brothers of the White Fang!" she pleaded. "Why are you aiding this scum?" This caused some of the weapons to lower as the soldiers looked nervously at each other.

"Oh kid, didn't you get the memo?" Roman smirked.

"What are you talking about," Blake ordered, digging the blade tighter against his skin.

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together," he replied.

"Tell me what it is, or I'll put an _end_ to your little _operation_." She cringed back as the sound of more bullheads penetrated her hearing and a great wind blew in the clearing.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a _little_ operation," Roman yelled over the howling engines. Blake could only stare with both unease and horror as the bullheads hovered over the Dust crates and attached themselves to it. Before she knew it, a large _BAM_ rang out and she was blown away from Torchwick. She quickly shook her head clear and righted herself, flipping away from the other blasts that followed.

 _I should've thought to neutralize the cane!_ she thought as she continued her run. Spinning around the corner, she brought herself to a screeching halt when she realized that no one was following her… but she could still hear the sound of combat.

 _Sun!_ She silently dashed all the way around the crates and peeked through, spying the Faunus in question taking down all the White Fang members with a red staff. Roman fired a round at him, but he blocked it, twirling his weapon around to absorb the blow.

"He's mine!" Blake snarled as she leaped over Sun and struck out at Roman. The _clang_ of metal against metal rang out. She parried him a couple times before using a shadow clone to propel herself forward, constantly switching sides and rushing him through use of her Semblance.

Roman merely blocked most of her strikes before lashing out at her, blocking another strike, and punching her in the face. The force sent her reeling back. She tried to backflip away from his other strikes but he beat her and knocked her down.

Sun, now holding a pair of gunchucks, kicked at him from above and proceeded to engage him in combat, utilizing the momentum of his weapon to fire multiple shots at him while parrying his blows.

Blake launched herself forward, knocking Roman to the ground. He shakily got up, only to fire a round above them. Her eyes widened as she spied the crate barrel down at her. She quickly backflipped away, adding a few more to that to put some distance between her and Roman.

She hadn't accounted for Sun, however. The blond was being held at gunpoint (or was it canepoint?) as he got up from where he had dived to avoid being squished.

Blake felt her blood ran cold. _He's just an outsider! I didn't want to drag him into my mess!_ A defiant, "Hey!" interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see Ruby, scythe in hand as she glared down at Roman.

"Oh hello, Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?" Roman jeered.

"Penny, get back," Ruby called, turning her head back. In a flash, Roman fired a blast, sending Ruby flying and the scythe out of her grasp. Blake could see the orange-haired girl from earlier walk up to the edge of the platform.

"Don't worry, Ruby," she heard. "I'm _combat ready_!"

A multitude of black steel swords floated out of her back, and she catapulted herself into the air. Landing, she quickly struck down the other White Fang members, floating swords following her every move. She utilized it much like a floating sawblade, effectively incapacitating the troops that attacked her. From above, bullheads fired at her. She quickly spun her swords into a shield and blocked the bullets raining down on her. Two more swords pinned themselves to the wall behind her. Blake could detect the faintest hint of wires before Penny was pulled back, skidding to a stop mere moments before she would have crashed. The swords in front of her started to spin in a circle, faster and faster until she could see a faint green light. The distinct sound of lasers went into overdrive, green beams severing the bullheads and crashing into the sea.

Another bullhead attempted to make its escape with its stolen cargo but Penny sent her swords at it and pulled it back, dragging it along with her almost as easily as walking.

 _How is she doing that?_

With a final pull, the bullhead was sent crashing into some more crates of Dust, resulting in blowing it up. Looking up, Blake spotted Roman closing the hatch to yet another bullhead, speeding away until even her Faunus senses couldn't detect them anymore. She quickly realized that she wasn't wearing her bow, and cast her gaze almost frantically. It was still lying on the ground, right where she had thrown it off. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, she quickly made her way over and tied it around her ears, right as the first of the authorities began showing up.

* * *

Shintaro sighed as he withdrew his gun. "I wasn't able to do much of anything." He looked over at Kano. "What about you?" He thought he spotted a pair of rotating blades amongst the firing zone, but he couldn't be sure.

"Oh, Shintaro, Shintaro," Kano chuckled. "Of course I did something! Although, only the people looking for it would notice, I think."

 _So it_ was _him._ "You should get back to the others now. They're going to wonder where you've been."

"Same with you."

"But unlike you, I don't compulsively disappear all the time and do shady things."

"True, true." Kano stretched and smirked at him. "Well then, shall we go?"

* * *

Police lights spun all around the dock, casting their red and blue lights on the gray walls. Blake's Faunus ears twitched at the sound of footsteps.

 _Weiss and Yang._

"Where are Marry and Seto?" Yang asked as they drew close. "Weren't they with you?"

Ruby sweated and looked away. "I might have… accidentally… left them behind…"

Blake could only sigh at her teammate… _friend's_ … actions. Her eyes locked with ice-blue.

"Weiss," she began. "I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was-"

"Stop. Do you have any idea how long we've been searching for you?"

 _...What?_

"A grand total of twelve hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in those twelve hours, I've decided…"

Blake braced herself for what was to come.

"...I don't care!"

Her eyes widened, though she kept the rest of her body still. "You… don't care?"

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

Blake couldn't believe this. "Well… yeah… I haven't been since-"

"Upupuppupuppup! I don't want to hear it." She leveled her stare at her. "All I want to know is that the next time something _this big_ comes up, you'll go to your teammates, and not some…" she frowned at Sun. "Someone else."

Blake smiled and quickly swiped her hand over her eyes. "Of course."

Ruby blinked, looked around, and broke into a grin. "Yessss! Team RWBY is back together!"

Weiss glared at Sun. "I'm still not quite sure how I feel about you!" He could only give a nervous chuckle.

"Wait a minute…" Ruby said, glancing around. "Where's Penny?"

"And shouldn't Marry and Seto be here by now?" Yang asked. "I mean, there _was_ this big cloud of smoke…"

Blake frowned. _Marry…_

* * *

Marry gripped onto her dress as she hid behind the corner. Next to her, Seto frowned worriedly. "You can't stay here forever."

"I-I know."

"You're going to have to ask her sooner or later."

"...I know." _I'll do it when she's alone. I'll do it when…_

A hand gripped her shoulder. "Marry. Don't worry about it. If it's really that important to you, then just go up and ask."

"I'm afraid," she whispered. "Afraid of what she'll say."

Seto fell silent. Marry could only tumble through her thoughts, again and again. _What if… What if… What if…!_

"Well," Seto said, causing her to jolt forward. "What are you going to do?"

* * *

"Marry! Seto! Where were you guys?" Ruby burst out. Seto nodded in her direction and held back a sigh. Marry had only tightened her grip on her dress further, her shoulders tense and her gaze down on the concrete. Seto could only hope that his presence would be able to help her, even if just a little.

 _Go on,_ he whispered in his mind, even when he knew that Marry couldn't hear him. _We both know that you have to do this._

"C-can I talk to Blake?" she stammered. "Alone?"

Blake blinked. "Sure. I'll see you later," she added, looking at her team.

"Ah- right. Come back soon!" Ruby's words drifted through his ears as they walked away.

Blake turned to Marry. "So? What is it?" Her voice was surprisingly steady, as if it was trying to conceal a tremor.

Seto gently squeezed Marry's shoulder. "Come on," he whispered.

"Did you…" She gulped and looked straight at her. "Did you ever kill someone?"

Blake stiffened, eyes widening and fists tightening. He knew her answer, right then. _Oh god…_

"Yes," she whispered.

Something seemed to die in him. He glanced at Marry, and the vision of cracked glass filled her eyes.

She whipped around and fled, long white hair streaming through the air, tearing through the streets as if her life depended on it.

"MARRY!" Seto yelled, reaching out to grab her, only to miss. He glanced at Blake. The black-haired girl was standing there, frozen, one hand stretched out in the direction of where she had fled. Her eyes were burning, brimming with emotion, amber orbs seeming to shimmer even in the dim light.

Seto looked back in the direction of where Marry had fled. He _knew_ just how close Blake had been to the cream-haired girl, despite her always trying to keep some sort of distance. _Marry… you really felt_ that _strongly about it, all this time?_

His mind flashed to Kano.

Seto sighed and gazed at Blake. _I'm sorry, but… I_ have _to know._

His eyes flashed red.

"Aren't you going to go after her?"

Blake lowered her hand. "No." She turned away. "I don't deserve to."

A gleam of water caught his gaze, and a stray thought echoed in her mind.

 _Because… she's far too sweet and pure for someone like me to be with her._

Seto frowned and clenched his teeth. _If only you knew… If only you knew of_ those things… _about her… and us…_ That _time_ …

* * *

 **A/N: I feel like the ending could have been executed better .-. That ending scene was originally in Blake's POV, but I dunno... it just didn't really fit, for some odd reason.**

 **But hey, original content next chapter! As soon as I get around to writing it! Which probably won't happen for a while... haha...**

 **New longest published chapter by far~! Over 7,000 words! Yeeeee**

 **Feed me reviews-**


	10. Face Forward

**A/N: It's been over a year since I last updated this... QwQ Well here's the next chapter! Finally!**

 **Watch me take another year to come out with the next chapter**

 **Last time: Blake's secret is revealed. Marry asks if Blake killed anyone. Blake answers yes. Marry runs off.**

* * *

"Blake? Is something wrong?"

Blake sighed and replied, "Everything's _fine_ , Ruby."

Yang frowned at her. "You don't look fine. Did something happen between you and Marry?"

She resisted a flinch. "What makes you think that?"

"The two of you have been avoiding each other all morning," Weiss chimed in. "And Marry would always avoid your gaze… She's not exactly the most subtle of people."

"You've been acting like this ever since you came back from your talk with Marry," Yang continued. "It only makes sense that we'd think something happened between you two."

Blake stopped poking at her food. "Fine. Let's assume that you're right. Then what?"

"We want to help you, of course!" Ruby insisted. "We're teammates, aren't we? Teammates help each other whenever possible!"

She couldn't help but smile at that. "Sorry, Ruby, but this isn't something that you can help with. Any of you," she added, shooting a glance at the others. Yang in particular looked as though she was about to protest. "This is just between me and Marry. I'm sure it'll all work out eventually." She took her barely emptied tray and dumped it in the trash. "It'll settle down soon enough." She walked away, not once looking back at her teammates.

 _It'll settle down soon enough._

 _So why does it feel like I'm lying?_

* * *

Kido stared at the unmoving lump of blankets on the bed. "...Marry?"

No answer.

She sighed and laid her head on the desk. _Should I… ask? About Blake's answer? I mean, since she's acting like this, then it must mean that Blake has killed someone before… right?_ To be honest, she couldn't see Blake killing anyone. Sure, she was a bit reserved and antisocial, but she was absolutely nothing like… the snake.

She shuddered and clenched her fist. _It's over,_ she whispered to herself. _Over._ Her hands made their way around her stomach and tightened. _Over._

She swallowed and looked back. "...Marry. You… you're going to miss class," she finished lamely.

The covers shifted, just a bit.

She stood and sat on the edge of the bed, resting her hand a few inches away. The questions swarmed in her mind, resting on the tip of her tongue, but never coming out. _Are you okay? Are you alright? How are you feeling? What do you think of Blake now? Do you think you and Blake… could ever go back to being friends?_ Because she knew that Marry had a bond with her- slightly unnoticeable, yet strong- due to their shared traits. Their non-human heritage. The fact that they had both been separated from the rest of society due to how they looked. She had seen her as a close friend, and Kido didn't doubt that Blake saw her in a similar light.

"Do you want to say anything?" she whispered, so quietly that she almost didn't hear it herself.

The covers shifted again, and a voice filtered through. "I didn't… I didn't expect…" Her voice cracked, broken gasps punctuating the silence. "I didn't think… I didn't think someone like her… someone as kind as her would have…!" Muffled whimpers rang in the stillness.

Kido sighed and scooted closer to the girl, patting her head through the blankets. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

"...But…"

"Don't worry about that." A small smile flitted across her face. "Do you want me here?"

"...Yes."

Kido rubbed her head, got up, and snatched her scroll off her desk. She tapped out a message for Kano and Seto before sending it. Placing it back down, she laid down next to Marry and guided her closer.

"Then don't worry," she murmured. "I'm right here." _I should at least do this much, because I don't know what else to do to help…_

* * *

Kano glanced over the message and smiled at Seto. "Marry's skipping. Kido's with her."

"Ah… really…"

Kano sighed from beneath the illusion. Seto's eyes were furrowed together, and a small frown was etched onto his face. A hand was absentmindedly rubbing his neck, and his gaze was slightly downcast.

"You're worried about her, aren't you?"

"Like you aren't," he replied.

Kano fingered his bangs, the tips brushing against his forehead. "...This only proves my point, you know."

Seto sighed, hand still on his neck. "Yeah. I know." He met his eyes. "But you could still-"

"No," Kano scowled. "It'll only put her in danger, and I don't want to worry her. We've been through this."

Seto sighed. "It was worth a shot."

The bell rang, and the professor stepped to the front. Someone slid into the seat next to Seto.

"You know where Marry and Kido are?" Yang asked.

"They're skipping." Kano made himself look as carefree and unworried as possible. "Marry's been having a bad day, so Kido decided to stay with her."

"That so?" Yang eyed Kano with a frown. "Do you guys know what happened?"

"Mayyyybe-"

"Kano." Seto turned to Yang and sighed. "Yeah, we do know what happened."

"So what does it have to do with Blake?"

Seto shook his head. "Sorry, but you'll have to ask Blake for that. It's something between her and Marry, so we can't tell you."

"Well, if you say so," she shrugged. "I hope they sort it out soon; Blake's been really down."

Seto hummed in agreement while Kano frowned. _And here's yet another example of her humanity… is she really as bad as I initially suspected her?_ A few weeks ago, he wouldn't have believed it, but he almost regretted his decision to threaten Blake at the start of the school year. It was obvious- right now, at least- that Blake really did regret the actions she'd committed in the White Fang, and was trying to make amends.

And Kano wanted to help her. He wanted to help her accomplish what he had never quite been able to do on his own. He wanted to make sure that she wouldn't fall into the same traps as he did. Face the same failures. Take the same truths. They were both far from innocent, if Marry's avoidance of her was any indication, but he didn't want her to destroy herself like he did.

 _Her will is stronger than mine._

If he was younger, he would have resented that. But he had faced the snake's deceptions. He had faced his own fall from grace. He didn't want anyone else to suffer the way that he did.

No one deserved to have that happen to them.

* * *

It had only been a day, but she already missed her.

Marry knew that Blake wasn't a bad person. She had already spent weeks with her, after all. Months even. Her formerly being in the White Fang didn't change that.

 _But she killed somebody…_

She squeezed her eyes shut. Blake wasn't the snake. Blake wasn't the snake. Blake wasn't…

 _She killed somebody… Just like the snake. Just like your mother's murderers._

The bat loomed above her head, her mother's white hair splashed with _red_ …

She gasped and shot her eyes open. It was dark, a blue-ish dark that reminded her of where she was.

 _The dorm. Beacon._

Her heart battered against her chest, and her neck felt damp. She shifted upright and shrugged the blankets off of her.

"Just a dream…"

The clock read 1:24. She frowned and brushed away her hair.

 _It's been three hours? I don't remember falling asleep…_ She rose and slipped into the bathroom, taking care not to wake the others. Once inside, she shut the door and flicked the lights on. The sudden brightness caused her to squint and grope for the faucet.

Rushing water filled her ears. She exhaled and splashed water over her face, trying to wash off the sticky, clammy remnants of her dream. When she opened her eyes, a dejected little girl met her gaze.

Keeping her eyes forward, she pulled the collar of her shirt down. The little girl in the mirror had lines of scales stretching across her shoulder blades. She trailed a finger across them, feeling the ridges and smoothness of each one.

 _We're Faunus, aren't we? Faunus should stick together._ She frowned and tugged the shirt back up. _Especially since a lot of people hate us…_

It wasn't fair. Even from the beginning, she had thought it wasn't fair. But that didn't mean people should kill to change it. That would only cause more suffering.

She dried her face with a towel, turned off the lights, and exited the bathroom. With the silentness of a snake, she grabbed her scroll and walked out of the dorm.

The night was dark and chilled her to the bone. She wrapped her arms around herself, heart beginning to race.

 _What if someone finds me? Someone who wanted to hurt me? Someone bad?_ She had walked out to try and calm herself, and she was regretting her decision. It would have been better to stay in the dorm, with her thoughts and the sound of her friends sleeping around her.

She stopped by a large window that nearly took up the entire wall. Outside, the courtyard was bathed in silver light, dark green grass gleaming and pale gray structures shimmering. The shattered remains of the moon glittered in the sky. She drew closer to the window and pressed a gentle hand on it.

 _It's beautiful._

"Marry?"

She shrieked and whirled around, hands up and ready to lash out. She caught the sight of a hood and relaxed instinctively. Hoods were good. Hoods meant safety.

"Whoa!" Ruby held up her hands and inched away. "Um- I'm sorry for startling you?"

Marry blushed and wrung her hands. "No, no, I'm sorry. I'm… really on edge, I guess."

"What for?" The question was so innocent, and yet she couldn't help but hesitate.

"Er… Reasons." She blinked and eyed Ruby. "Why are you even here, anyway?"

"Eh- Ahahaha! Funny story actually…" She fiddled with her cloak, avoiding her gaze. "It's nothing, really. Just some silly dreams, you know how it is…! After that I really-get-the-need-to-just-do-something-you-know?"

"U-uhm…"

"Anyway!" She shook her head and frowned at Marry. "Why do you keep avoiding Blake?"

Marry flinched. "...I…" _I didn't think it was that obvious! What do I say- What do I say-?!_

"Blake said that it would settle down… but it hasn't settled down yet, and you're still avoiding her! I- I mean, it's only been a few hours, I guess, but still! I don't like seeing two of my friends fighting… and I certainly don't like to see them sad! You haven't been to any of our classes! I'm worried! Both of you aren't acting like you normally do! A-and, I might be overstepping a bit, but can't you just talk out whatever problem you have? I'm sure if you just tell her what's wrong, everything would work out!"

Marry dropped her gaze to the floor. "It's not that simple, Ruby."

"But _why_?"

"It's none of your business!" she snapped. She lifted her head and glared. "Just stay out of it! Please!"

Ruby took a step back, eyes wide. "...I just-"

Guilt flooded Marry. She bit her lip and bolted the other direction, back the way she came.

Behind her, a child's voice drifted through the air. "I just wanted to help…"

* * *

Kido set down her lunch tray and resisted the urge to groan. The day had gone off to a horrible start, and she could feel a headache pound beneath her eyes. She had needed some space, so she had split from the others to try and find a quiet area. Unfortunately, the cafeteria was crammed full of students today, and the noise swarmed her. There wasn't a single quiet spot in sight. In the end, she had to settle for a semi-isolated area instead.

She rubbed her temples and nibbled at her food. As soon as she was done eating she needed to make up the work she missed. Just thinking about it wound knots in her shoulders. She didn't regret her decision though. Family was much more important than her own suffering.

"...Do you mind if I sit here?" Blake. It surprised her that she was even talking to her. She hummed an agreement and heard a tray clink on the table.

She lifted her head and watched Blake push around her food. Her bow was twitching slightly, almost irritably. She understood. If the noise was annoying for her, then how much worse would it be for Blake with her enhanced senses?

She swallowed and thought through her words, ignoring the awkwardness pressing down on her. "...You should talk to Marry."

Blake started and gaped at her. "W-What?"

She pursed her lips. "It's… not a problem with you. It's a problem with her feelings." _I think._

"I… don't think I understand. You're asking me to talk to her?"

"It's hurting the both of you. Staying apart, I mean." She twirled her fork. "Marry is… down… without you. She really thought of you as close."

Blake frowned and stabbed her tray. "But she's avoiding me."

"She needs to sort out her feelings. You can help her."

"You think that me talking to her will help?"

She nodded. "You have to lay everything out on the table… so to speak."

"And this will help her sort through her feelings," she deadpanned. She paused and buried her head in her hands. "...Are you sure this will work?"

"It can't hurt to try."

Blake lifted her head. "Why are you helping me anyway?"

Kido blinked and averted her gaze. _Why_ am _I helping?_ She gnawed on the tip of the fork. "...That's what a leader does. That's what a _Huntress_ does. Right?"

Blake huffed a laugh. "I guess you're right. I'll try. That's…"

"You can do it," she stated. "Even if you have to fake your way through, you can do it."

* * *

Marry pulled the hood tighter over her head, staring down at the fountain. She couldn't keep doing this. She was hurting the people around her, her precious friends. She couldn't keep doing this. She had to go to Blake and explain. She had to- she had to-

Her hands trembled. Her breath shook. The water turned crimson red, the color of blood-

She gasped and jerked away. The water was clear. A single leaf rested on its surface.

She couldn't keep doing this.

She liked Blake. She did. She did. But she couldn't muster up the bravery to even face her.

 _What are you scared of? A little blood? A friend? A killer?_

She shook her head. If she was afraid of Blake because she was a killer, this would be simpler. But Blake wasn't a killer. She had admitted to killing people, but that didn't make her a killer. That didn't make her like the snake.

 _What are you scared of?_

She didn't know why. She knew why. The answer was as clear as haze. Like dark days and lonely crowds. She knew why. She didn't know why. Why she was afraid-

"Marry?"

She whirled around. Black hair and yellow eyes. Her heart thumped in her ears and pounded on her chest. She opened her mouth-

Her shriek caught in her throat. No- not yellow- amber. Blake. Not…

She exhaled. "It's just you…"

Blake's eyes were on the ground. "Can I sit next to you?"

Marry wanted to decline. For half a second, she wanted nothing more than to run. She couldn't do this. She couldn't…

 _What are you scared of?_

Her hands trembled. She clenched them into fists. _I'm a Huntress. I'm a Huntress. I'm a Huntress_ , she chanted. _Huntresses don't get scared of their friends._

She gave a slow, tiny nod.

Blake slid next to her. They sat in silence. The fountain rippled, its sound a soft and soothing spray.

"I'm sorry," Blake said. "This is all my fault."

"No!" she protested. "This isn't your fault at all!"

"But it is," she argued. "If it weren't for… If I hadn't killed anyone, you wouldn't be afraid of me."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Then why are you avoiding me? You think I'm a monster, don't you?"

"You're not a monster either!"

"Then why?" Blake yelled. "Why do you always run away? Why do you look so scared?"

She flinched. The fountain roared. It was warm and bright, like that sunny, illusionary day. Her mother was yelling, yelling for her to run. There was a spray of dark, luscious red…

Blake jerked away and hung her head. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault," she whispered. She was trembling. "It's mine. I'm being stupid."

"You're not being stupid."

"I am."

"You're not," Blake muttered. "I was the stupid one, thinking that killing people would change anything for the better."

She couldn't face her, so she stared at the fountain. Her own face glanced back, hollow eyes and a sagging face. "Death only leads to more death. Killing only ever brings pain."

"I might know that now. I didn't know that then."

"Are you trying to justify your actions?" Her voice came out duller than intended.

Blake shook her head. "No. Never. I'm only saying that if you know that now, you're much wiser than I was."

"I'm not," she breathed. The reflection blurred. "I'm the naive idiot who got her mom killed."

The fountain's rumble washed over her.

"-Marry-?"

"It was a beautiful day. Like this one. Bright and sunny and warm. Mom warned me not to go outside, no matter what. I didn't listen. I didn't think… I just wanted to play in the flowers. Then they came. They hurt me, called me the monster's child. I just wanted Mom to come. And she did. She saved me." Her eyes were warm. Damp lines skimmed her cheeks. "She saved me. And in the process, she was killed."

"...Is that why…?"

"It's stupid," she gasped. "I shouldn't feel like this. You're my friend, you would never hurt me. But every time… every stupid time…! I keep seeing the blood!"

A hand brushed hers. She latched onto it, sobbing. It hurt. It hurt so much. It hurt even more because that time they were so close, so close, and yet the snake took it all and smashed it to pieces. Their hope, their strength, their progress. She thought they would make it that time, she really did. And then everything was painted with blood, and they all fell, one by one, like her mom.

She had watched them all die. It was blazed into her nightmares.

Her awareness came in clumps. A hand shakily rubbing her head. Another against her chest. A soft warmth enveloping her. She was pressed against someone and clenching their hand in a grip of vice.

Her sobs subsided to hiccups. She opened her eyes and looked up.

Blake frowned back. Her eyes were amber, not yellow. "...Feel better?"

She giggled.

Blake gawked at her in the most bewildered expression she had seen. A slight blush crept on her cheeks. "I'm… sorry?"

Her lips curled up. "I really am an idiot."

"Don't say that," she grouched. Her face fell into a blank expression. "Can I ask…? Why were you… afraid? Of me?"

Her smile faded. "I was never afraid of you." She had to make that clear, make her understand that it wasn't her fault at all. "I was never afraid of you, because I knew you thought it would make the world a better place. I am afraid of people who kill, but I'm not afraid of you." She rested her hand on Blake's and squeezed. A reassurance to herself. "...I was afraid… because of what you could have become."

Blake turned her head sharply.

She kept her eyes down. "People can become monsters so quickly. I didn't want that to happen to you."

Haruka never wanted to be a killer. And yet, the snake manipulated him to become one before any of them realized it.

"I know what you mean," Blake sighed. "I understand."

"Sorry. This is all my fault."

"It's not your fault."

"It is."

"It isn't."

"It _is_."

"Fine then," Blake huffed. "We're both at fault."

Marry smiled and slid closer. "Okay then."

She averted her gaze. "You already said this earlier, but… You're my friend too."

She hummed. "Yeah. Definitely." She paused. "...I never told the others about…"

Blake tilted her head. "About…? Oh. Do you want to?"

"I'm not sure… I don't want to hide it from them anymore, though. It's been a few months already. They're my friends too."

"Are you sure? Weiss is the heiress of the Schnee company."

"I… yeah. I'm sure. Even if it turns out badly… I'll have my other friends and family."

"It should be fine. Weiss might take a little time, but she's working on it. She has her reasons for disliking our kind."

Marry shifted on her feet. "Will you come with me? You and my team."

Blake smiled. "Of course. I'll be with you all the way."

* * *

Ruby made her way to TKSM's dorm room. Her, her team, and JNPR were called there by Marry. For what reason, she had no clue. She didn't expect what she saw when she walked in.

Marry and Blake were whispering to each other, heads tucked closely together. Marry's expression was nervous, and Blake's face was stoic, but there was no tension between them.

Ruby beamed and rushed them. "You finally made up! I'm so happy!"

Marry started and nearly fell. "Y-you're not mad?"

"Huh? Why would I?"

"I y-yelled at you. Last night." She ducked her head. "I'm sorry."

"Oh no, that's okay! I didn't really dwell on it." That was a lie, but she didn't have to know that. Besides, she apologized, so it was okay.

Marry relaxed. "Oh, good. I was worried…"

"Why did you call everyone here, though?" She looked around and found Kido, Kano, and Seto standing a little ways off, surrounding Marry. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. It's just… Well, you'll see when everyone gets here."

The door opened. Weiss, Yang, and JNPR filed in. "Are we late?" Weiss asked.

"I just got here early," she answered. "And Blake was already here."

Marry gulped. "This is everyone…" Kido and Seto rested their hands on her shoulders. Blake squeezed her hand.

Yang turned to Ruby and raised an eyebrow. She shrugged back.

"Right, um…" Marry cleared her throat. "I… haven't been completely truthful. Well, I've been hiding something that I think you guys should know."

"Are you a White Fang sympathizer?" Weiss interrupted. Kano tensed and Seto frowned.

Marry waved her hands. "Nonononono! I don't agree with what they're doing at all! A-and I lived in a really secluded place, so I never even heard about them until after we came…" She trailed off. "A-anyway! What I've been trying to say… is… I'm a Faunus."

"You're a Faunus?" Ruby gasped. "But you don't look like one!"

"I'm a snake Faunus." She unbuttoned her collar and pulled it down. Along her neckline and creeping towards her neck were rows of scales. "It's normally hidden anyway, since I avoid more revealing clothing."

"Why did you hide it?" Weiss asked.

"...I was afraid of people's reactions," she muttered.

Weiss's face twisted through emotions until it settled on her normal irritated expression. "You could have told us earlier. Well, at least you didn't hide it until it was dragged out, like Blake."

Marry gaped. "You… aren't going to yell at me? You're not going to ask more questions?"

She looked away. "You're fine. Someone like you could never do the things the White Fang are doing."

Ruby squealed. "Awww, Weiss, that's so sweet!"

"Shut up!" she snapped.

"Oh, and Marry," Ruby began. "If you're a Faunus, does that mean you're a ninja?"

Heads turned towards her. Marry squawked. "I- w-what?"

"Blake's a Faunus and a ninja," she explained. "And you're a Faunus. Does that mean you're a ninja, like Blake?"

"I… don't know? Um?" Marry turned to Blake. "Help?" Blake only shrugged.

Yang chuckled. "Only you, Ruby."

"Yang! It's a valid question!"

Kano laughed. "I'd say Kido's more like the ninja! She can turn invisible, after all."

"Kano," she growled, but her lips were twitching.

"Marry?" Seto called. "Are you crying?"

Marry let out a giggle verging on a sob and shook her head. "I'm not sad! I'm just s-so relieved… and happy…!"

Ruby hugged her. "Don't cry. We're friends! So you don't have to worry. In fact, we'll be best friends forever! Right?"

Marry's eyes glimmered. "Yeah. Forever."

Yang tackled them. "Group hug!" she called. "That means you too, Blake, Weiss, Kido!"

Soon they ended up in a big, tangled pile. Ruby somehow found herself squashed between Marry and Blake.

"Will we really be best friends forever?" Marry whispered in their ears.

"Definitely."

"...Forever?"

"Forever."

Marry beamed.


End file.
